Haned Megami se Tenshinranman soshite Kyuui
by Damian Morte
Summary: mmm, classic girls get taken from earth to Gaea by people who want to counter attack Hitomi who is the Winged Goddess. All of those involved with them will find love, and family.
1. Ashley's arrival and some new freinds

Diclaimers: I do not own Escalfown but I do own the character Ashley.  
  
Haned Megami se Tenshinranman soshite Kyuui  
  
Chapter one  
  
Dilandau's dragonslayers were all standing in formation in front of an open docking door. Folken was there, though Dilandau wasn't, he was on some sort of a mission. They were awaiting someone who was going to help them, though only Folken knew who and why. Some of the Dragonslayers were antsy as to why they were there. Chesta was about to ask Folken what was going on when a bright light broke through the barrier of white fluffy clouds covering the cerulean blue sky. The column of light hit the docking ledge just inside the doorway. Everyone watched in awe as a dark form came floating weightlessly towards the metal floor. Once it ended its slow journey down, the column of white light left as soon as it appeared.   
In its place stood a girl, she stood 5'3 in height, no where near as tall as the dragonslayers. She was petite and didn't look very harmful, she had absolutely no meat on her bones, or what they could tell. She was wearing the most ridiculous outfit the group had ever seen. She was wearing a pair of really short gray shorts. And a matching gray T-shirt that was hanging slightly off of one shoulder revealing the strap of a white sports bra. Her bust wasn't big, but even with the large T-shirt on you could see the outline of some curves. The girls hair was waist length, or so they thought, and very curly a rich dark violet color. Her hair was held up in a ponytail with her hair puffy so it hopped around every time she moved her head. Her face was small and cute, it was creamy porcelain color with puffy cheeks. Her full lips were slightly red and glistening from the remenates of lip gloss. Her violet eyes glistened with a sudden fear that didn't match her confused and innocent face.  
She was holding a dark blue and white duffel bag that was packed to its maximum. Looking down further you could see her creamy white legs that curved seductively. On her feet were white ankle socks and a pair of Body Co. white tennis shoes. The girls blinked, then blinked again, then she just stood there, she was scared and dumbfounded.  
" I could have sworn I was walking home." She said to herself, her black eyebrows knitted together tightly and she scrunched up her small nose like a little rabbit.  
" Yes, Ashley, you were." Folken finally said. The girl named Ashley looked up at him and blinked.  
" How.... How do you know my name." Her small voice found itself after she was after the shock.  
" I know a lot about you." Blinking Ashley noticed the army of men in front of her and blinked.  
" Where am I??" Ashley questioned, her voice went from small and scared to cold and distant. She had recollected herself and now she was not going anywhere without a fight.  
" You are on the floating fortress called Vione, I am Folken Strategous. And these men are the Dragonslayers Team." Ashley mentally took this all in as she watched everyone warily. " Come, Ashley, I have much to discuss with you." Folken told her, Ashley for some reason thought she could trust him. He didn't look harmless but who in this room wasn't?   
Hesitantly she took a step forward, then another before she was three steps in front of the one named Folken. Folken's face held no emotion, but Ashley could see right through him, after all it was her gift. Taking in a large breathe she followed Folken as he walked through a large door. She could feel the heated gaze of everyone else in the room on her and felt funny.  
  
Folken had led her to a room that was bare, it was utterly and completely bare, save for the pine bed, closet, and bay window. Ashley blinked as her leaned near a wall.  
" This will be your room, when we land you can buy things to decorate it, I will give you the money. But, first we must discuss some things."  
" Well, how about you start with why I'm here." Ashley said, she put her duffel bag down and hopped on the bed.  
" Well, you are on the planet Gaea, its similar to your earth. Anyway, we heard of your ability to see the future and other unworldly stuff. We need it, we are in the middle of a lost war and it would help us a great deal." Ashley blinked, wars were never good and anything she could do to stop it would help.  
" A war? Well, … if I can help stop it I'll do anything." Ashley exclaimed, then her face brightened up and she was her hyper normal self. Folken was taken back by her sudden change in attitude.  
" Well, you would be helping to stop it. "Folken told her, inside he hated that this innocent girl was going to help Zaibach.  
" Well then, no what's or buts about it, I'll help this..um..planet..what the hell is it called...ge-a-uh..." Ashley mused and put her fore finger to her chin and thought a moment.  
Folken mentally laughed at the innocent sight but thought against it, getting off the wall he left. Leaving Ashley alone in the room.  
  
Ashley had set the cloths she had in the bag in the closet, all she had was a couple of extra outfits, and her kimono, she was going to be spending the weekend with her friend. She had gotten out of swimming practice when she was transported to the Vione.  
Walking out her bedroom door and taking the key Folken had came back to given her she pocketed it and left. Not soon after her third corridor she was lost, and very irritated. As she walked past a door it opened quickly and the person walking out crashed into her. Ashley fell to the ground with someone on top of her. Looking up it was one of the dragonslayers she saw that day. The guy blushed lightly and scrambled off of her. Ashley got up and smiled at his nervousness.  
" Sorry Lady Ashley... I didn't know you were..." He was caught off with Ashley's hysterical laughter. When she was done she had tears in her eyes.  
" man, you have got to see your face!! Its priceless!! By the way don't worry about it, gee its not like I'm the koutaishihi Atlantis." The guy laughed slightly though he didn't know what that was.  
" Sorry, my name is Chesta. I'm on my way to Migel's room to play some poker, wanna come?" Ashley beamed, she might have just made a new friend. Nodding eagerly Chesta laughed and walked her down the hallway.  
  
They made it to Migel's room in ten minutes, Ashley was nervous but one glance at Chesta and she was convinced. Chesta was a whole foot taller than her, he had blonde hair cut into a bowl shape and dark eyes, like her own, only blue. He was wearing some wore black and blue armor stuff. He pushed open the door and basically dragged Ashley in. The room automatically went silent from the raucous laughter that was emitting from everyone. Ashley felt immediately sad.  
" They must hate me." Ashley said to herself and went to turn around when someone came over to her and smiled.  
" Hi, I'm Migel, welcome to my humble ... room thingie." Blinking Ashley smiled at him and said a shy 'hi'.  
" She came with me to play poker with us, I invited her." Chesta finally spoke up. Ashley took a good look at Migel and noticed he wasn't half bad looking. He was young and tall like Chesta, though he had short brown hair and matching brown eyes.   
" Well then get your sorry...um..."  
" Asses ... you should just say it.. it sounds funny if ya don't." Ashley said, the guy who said it had platinum blonde hair and sea green colored eyes. He was sitting at a table and was setting cards out for everyone.  
" Yeah, well we try not to cuss in front of a lady. By the way I'm Gatti." Ashley raised an eyebrow at this and blinked.  
" Well, dun do it anymore around me, I grew up around it...more that you know. Besides the kind of stuff I'm used to would have made a drill sergeant change his religion. " Ashley chuckled softly as she got puzzled responses " A drill sergeant where I come from is like... Hm...your superior, except maybe a little more mentally scary."  
" Ashley, what was that you said in the hallway?" Chesta finally asked.  
" Oh, its Japanese, I'm actually American but my friend has taught me everything there is to know about the Japanese language. I said 'koutaishihi Atlantis' it means 'Crowned Princess of Atlantis' I was joking. You were acting like I was glass or something." Chesta rolled his eyes as Ashley sat down and picked up her set of cards. She looked at them and frowned.  
" Wait, I haven't played this in like three years.. what is this?" Ashley asked and held her cards out to them, they all sweat dropped, she had all four aces.  
Migel was banging his head on the table as another was near tears.  
" Oh my, her first try. This little lady is lucky." Ashley looked at the guy to her left who was working his charm like a field horse. He was handsome, he had beautiful long curly black hair and ice blue eyes.  
But, Ashley soon lost her words as she tried to apologize to Migel.  
" I am soo sorry, please don't beat yourself up." Ashley pleaded, when Migel stopped her just stared at her like she was strange. Once he stopped though Ashley beamed and gave him her cards. " Deal." But her never got to it when Folken walked into the room, his eyebrows knit together with worry.  
" Ashley, I've been looking for you." Folken said, Ashley blinked. " We've landed in Austuria." Ashley leaped for joy and ended up landing on her ass.  
" Ow...." Ashley whined and stood back up." So this means I can go shopping now." Her eyes glazed over with happiness before she ran passed him, only to come back five minutes later. " I can't remember where the room is..." She whispered to Folken and started blinking her eyes. " hey you guys wanna come too!!" She exclaimed, the dragonslayers looked at Folken for confirmation before looking at Ashley. Folken looked at the ecstatic girl and knew she needed protection. He nodded yes and it took all Ashley's strength not to fling herself at him, she didn't know why but she knew that the people in this room all had a place in their hearts for her.  
" We'll take her back to her room Folken-sama." They said, Folken nodded and handed a small black velvet bag that set in Ashley's hands. Squealing she grabbed Dallet, and dragging him out the door. After they were out he led the way to her room.  
  
  
  
Note: I hope this is long enough, I'm not very good at writing long chapters, anyhoo please R& R, I'll post another chapter after two, and I mean two reveiws are posted.  
::Hears her readers gasp with shock of how much work they have to do::  
I know..I'm turning out like my math teacher (( whom never gives homework))  
Lol... anyways reveiw!! please.. I begath you..or whatever 


	2. Ashley meets King Astin and the ever fea...

Note from..me..: Omg, I got my first reveiw.... and I like died, you are soooooooooooo nice!! I've written some stories before.. but never posted them, but omg. I love you!! ok..I'll take your advice..and I'm glad you think it has potential. Anyhoo, on with my ficcie... lol.  
  
Haned Megami se Tenshinranman soshite Kyuui   
  
Chapter Two  
  
Ashley thinking the door was unlocked like at her house and just turned the knob and walked right into the hard surface of her door. Glaring at the thing she dug out the key and unlocked it. Inviting everyone in; they were   
(of course )hesitant but came in anyway.  
"Folken says we'll be meeting King Astin, so he wants you to wear something..other than your outfit...something that covers more." Migel had a hard time saying it but Ashley had already headed to her closet and grabbed the kimono and thrown it on the bed.  
Blinking she found a changing screen, taking the kimono off the bed she went behind the screen and took her cloths off throwing them over the top of the screen. She put the kimono on and loved the silky feeling of it on her creamy skin. The kimono was dark violet with silver stars all over it. It was a pull over dress that had long sleeves that ended at the hem of the dress which was on the floor. Since the closet was near the screen she opened it without coming out and grabbed two matching chopsticks from her bag. Taking her hair from the ponytail decided on putting it in a bun with a few pieces framing her face she set the chopsticks in it. Looking at herself she bent over and put her violet slippers on and came out with the large thick silk ribbon that matched her outfit.  
The guys were stunned though it did cover everything besides her head and some of her hands, considering her neck was covered by the dress. She walked towards them and held out the ribbon.   
" Can anyone tie a bow?" She asked them, Chest quickly took the ribbon since he didn't trust the other ones not to grope her. Ashley took it and set it around her waist, the ribbon was so large that it covered her entire stomach and started under her breasts.   
He tied a perfect bow and Ashley was surprised, though held it in. Nodding in approval she got a grin, a knock sounded on her door and Folken was there. He looked at her and blinked, a big change from her earlier more outlandish outfit.  
" We should be going King Astin is expecting us." Was all he said, scrunching her nose up she followed him along with the dragonslayers.  
  
Ashley was standing next to Folken who was standing near the King of Austuria, there were people standing before him saying that some Zaibach army was being evil and stuff.  
" Zaibach has burned down Fanalia, and my camp." A blonde knight said outraged. Folken retaliated though, Ashley couldn't help but feel sorry for him.  
" Zaibach has done no such thing, now if you do not believe me, I am head of the troops that were in that area. Ashley where was everyone, including yourself?" Ashley blinked and she found a new attention she didn't want. A boy her age was just staring at her, he had crimson colored eyes and was very cute. He had unruly jet black hair that made you want to run your fingers through it. Then there was a girl who looked like someone from her planet, she was wearing a school uniform. She was tall and healthy with short sandy blonde hair and bright green eyes.  
" Well, I have no idea what Zaibach is, buuuut, I was in Migel's room..and you WERE there." Ashley said and blinked when people glared at her, she just blinked confused. She felt Gatti grab her arm and try to lead her away but she wouldn't budge.  
She had her hands clasped together tightly though you couldn't see since they were hidden by the kimono's sleeves. Her violet gaze was stuck on the occupants in the room. She was confused, why do these people look at Folken and the others, including herself with such hate? She never did anything to them, or at least she couldn't remember doing anything bad to them.   
" Yes, well Allen it could have been some rebels with Zaibach guymelefs, nothing to worry about." The King said, and Ashley nearly died.  
" Hey that's not very nice. I mean.. come one this guys camp was burned to the ground and all you can say is 'oh gee I'm sorry but the stick up my ass can only go so far up.' Puh-leeze, what if it was your..um..country that was burned." Ashley blurted out, she shook out of the dragonslayers hold and glared daggers at the king.  
" Swift tongue you've got their little lady, though I doubt it will get your opinion very far." That was not something you should say to Ashley.  
" Oi, ya know what fuck it. This is so not up my alley, Folken I'm going shopping now..." Ashley muttered and growled before she left. Not without giving a look of sympathy to Allen and the others who were looking at her strangely.  
  
The dragonslayers accompanied her throughout the entire shopping spree, occasionally she'd see the knight or the other ones watching her for some strange unknown reason. Sighing for the umpteenth time that day, Ashley idly listened to what was being said. She had bought everything she and the dragonslayers thought she would need for the time being and were now stopping for something to eat. Sitting outside with an umbrella over her head, a waiter came out with their food. Nearly squealing with delight Ashley attacked her plate before it even hit the table.  
" Oh my god you guys this is sooooo good!!" Ashley moaned as she took another bite. She looked at Chesta who was eyeing her shrimp pasta and smiled. " Would you like to try some?" She asked them, seeing everyone nod, she laughed as six forks came down on her plate. Shaking her head she went back to eating occasionally taking a fork full of peas from Viole.  
  
The sun was setting, turning the sky shades of orange, pink, purple, and midnight blue. Ashley was absolutely exhausted though the dragonslayers were totally hyper. She would have been if she ate something sweet but she didn't. They were leading her through a long alley way back to the Vione, apparently Folken had called Dallet on his collar com-link and called them back.  
Ashley walked up the steel ramp and mentally sighed, this place was so dark and dreary, though she couldn't say she didn't like it. Maybe Folken would let her paint it.  
' Neon orange and pink polka dots with blue and white stripped curtains, and neon yellow and green zigzag painted doors.' Ashley outwardly giggled at the thought, the boys were leading her to their hallway, for some reason they had moved her near them for better protection.  
Migel pushed the door open and went inside and surveyed everything there, the bed was pushed up against the wall, it had the sheets, comforter, quilt, and pillows Ashley bought already on the bed. The bedside table was set in-between the bed and bay window, though the window was larger than the one in the earlier room. The pillows were scattered on the little bed in the bay window, and the white curtains were pulled back. The armoire was set up in a corner near the closet, and some of the dresses and other outfits the seamstress made for Ashley were handing in the open armoire  
"Wow, it's pretty." Ashley said, the room was carpeted black and the walls were painted pale blue, cosmic effect.  
Suddenly an alarm went off and some of the guys paled, they looked at Ashley who was blinking. " Stay in here and don't come out till one of us comes or Folken not anyone else." Chesta told her and left, Ashley blinked but locked the door behind him, she didn't like the feeling she was getting. Sitting on her bed she idly played with her fingers. Laying down, she yawned and closed her eyes, allowing her hands to hug a pillow to her chest.  
  
The entire dragonslayer team was either standing or kneeling before Dilandau. He had come back from a rather successful mission though he was not happy about the woman on board the Vione. Folken had repeatedly told him she could help them win this thing but he didn't like the idea of trusting their lives on one little girl. Sitting on his throne he watched Folken through narrowed, fiery, crimson eyes. He idly played with a tuft of silver hair a sure sign he was bored as hell.   
" So, Folken where is this girl?" Dilandau asked the older man, Folken stared at Dilandau before answering.  
" In her room, she is resting from her day." Dilandau's eyebrow rose and he had a sadistic smile playing upon his pale lips.   
" Really, I was hoping to get a look at her." Dilandau said, Folken almost rolled his eyes.  
" Well you will see her at the banquet Austuria is holding. We are all going as representatives for Zaibach." Folken told him, Dilandau scowled. How he hated banquets and balls, they were just time consuming and worthless.  
" Yes, well she better be as good as you say. We don't want any mishaps going against the dragon." Dilandau shrugged it off, fed up Folken left like the black plague was after him.  
Dilandau motioned for his men to leave, hurriedly the top six of his dragonslayers left, confused Dilandau just shrugged it off.  
  
Viole was making a mad dash for Ashley's room, once he reached it he stopped and was immediately ran into by Chesta followed by the rest until there was a huge pile. Managing to get out of the pile, Dallet knocked on Ashley's door. No one answered, worried he knocked on it louder, looking at Chesta they both knocked on the door.   
" Wait I've got the spare skeleton key." Migel said and unlocked the door. they each cautiously walked into the darkened room, the moonlight poured in through the bay window creating a stream of silver light on the black carpeted floor. Lighting a match and lighting a lantern, Ryou set it on the bed side table. The room lit up and everyone turned towards the bed to see Ashley, still in her kimono, asleep with a pillow hugged to her chest.  
Collective sighs rang softly through the room, Chesta nearly died, he though she had been kidnapped or something.  
" Well, we'd better go...." Migel started to say before there was a slight whine and Ashley's eyelids flew open, blinking rapidly a few times she sat up and rubbed them.  
" Hey.. guys what's up? and who's that?" Ashley asked pointing towards Dilandau who was standing in the doorway just watching.  
  
  
Note: Oi, I have some bad news to you all. My stupid comp. died while I was making modifications to the third chapter and it totally erased it from my disc. So now I have to try and hurry and write another similar one that matches the story, sorry if it's really bad. Anyhoo, R&R if you feel like it. 


	3. The Confrontation, showering, and a litt...

Disclaimers: I dun own escaflowne but I do own Ashley...heh.  
  
  
Haned Megami se Tenshinranman soshite Kyuui  
  
Chapter Three  
  
Ashley smiled at Dilandau before walking towards him, he was studying her, he would have circled her if so many people weren't in the room. The room was large, but not large enough to hold more than five people without bumping into people or other things. Ashley fidgeted under his intense gaze and hated the way his eyes held that psychotic gleam. She just hated it, it made her feel so uncomfortable, just like Van's eyes. He made her squirm, it was like invisible hands were tickling her, it was not a pleasant feeling, not the least bit pleasing at all.  
Hopeful in breaking any sort of tension between them, Ashley looked into his crimson eyes a second time and almost looked away. He was beginning to laugh, it was high pitched and maniacally sickening. He had his hands on his hips, and his head thrown back, though his eyes never left hers. Attempting a new approach Ashley held her hand out to him. This seemed to only make him laugh harder, getting really pissed off Ashley was about to shake this guy into some sense.   
' What an asshole, he's worse than King Astin. Very cocky. ' One part of her mind thought, but the other part had to put its two cents in. ' Then why do you think he's cute? Or maybe hot, I mean look at the way his eyes look over your body, sizing you up, and the way he laughs. Disturbing but you know you like it.' Growling low Ashley mentally slapped that part till it shit itself. Satisfied, Ashley just stood there until he quit laughing. He cocked his head to the side and it made Ashley think he was more of a jackass.  
" Well, she's cute, nice eye candy. Though I don't see why we need her, we could just kidnap Van's wench. Although, I see we do have an upper hand, a witch with the ability to see the future." Dilandau said, Ashley's eyes widened as she looked down at the floor. She knew she couldn't keep it a secret forever, someone was bound to find out she was a witch. And she was bound to have enemies because of it.   
" Chesta, come here." Dilandau said, he liked making the girl feel bad, but for some reason he hated to see her face falter from any emotion to be tarnished with sadness. It didn't suit her, shaking the thought away, he was the commander of the dragonslayers he had no time to feel things for one girl.  
" What were you doing?" Dilandau asked him.  
" We....We.. were checking on Ashley, Diland...." Chesta never got to finish as the familiar sound of his palm connecting with Chesta's smooth cheek.  
From the ground Chesta couldn't see much in the dimly lit room, but he distinctively heard the same sound of a palm connecting with someone's faces. But, what he saw when he looked up, his brain didn't want to register. What he saw was Ashley, her violet eyes dark with anger and fear, her hand suspended in midair. Dilandau's head was knocked to the side with his cheek practically embedded in his shoulder. Slowly Dilandau faced Ashley once more and took a step foreword, he was much taller than Ashley and she had to look up at him like most of the slayers, but him being this close to her meant that the outcome might not be what she'd hoped for. The slayers could only pray he wouldn't hurt her, or at least if he did, not too bad. Then Ashley made the mistake by adding foul words to the already pissed off general.  
" Maybe you should get that damned stick out of your ass a mile thick. They were here to check on my well being, or so it seems. I only think it natural that a person who, has a heart that's not frozen solid would come and check on me. I can't believe you'd hit your men, I swear if I was under your command I would have gone awall the first time I saw you!!" Ashley was practically screaming in rage, then when she was done, she didn't expect him to throw his head back and laugh. Ashley noticed the trickle of crimson blood run down his chin and was happy she hurt him. Yes, she, Ashley the most innocent and peaceful person anyone would ever meet, was happy that she caused another human being to bleed, though she wasn't too sure he was human. Some people had actually asked her if she was, she was normally distant and never showed her emotions, though for some reasons she was showing them all the time.  
Then Ashley saw him pull back his arm and go to hit her, closing her eyes Ashley awaited the blow though it never came. Cracking an eye open Ashley saw Folken standing behind Dilandau in the hallway holding his arm in a tight, vice like grip. Ashley was thankful though near tears, never in her life other than on t.v. had she witnessed or come closed to being hit. And the words he said to her were not nice either, and sometimes words were worse than actions, it just depended on what the action was.   
" She's right Dilandau, you must learn to control your temper. Now everyone, including you Ashley, get prepared for King Astin's Ball. Ashley, I will send an escort for you." Ashley blinked and nodded, she didn't take her eyes off of Dilandau's he continued to stare at her before licking the blood off of his lip and smirking. He was the last to leave her room, though as soon as he left Ashley made a mad dash for the door. Slamming it shut and locking it, Ashley wasn't satisfied Dilandau couldn't get into her room until she had set a chair underneath the handle.  
" Man, I should be more careful, that dude is freaky." Ashley muttered to herself, then she realized she needed a shower. There was a towel in her room, but not shower, scrunching her nose up, she took her clothes off and wrapped the pale yellow towel around her body. The towel wasn't very large, and obviously made for a man, it started just above her breasts and ended at mid-thigh, very short considering your used to towels that go to your knees and sometimes to mid-calf.  
Grabbing another towel for her hair, Ashley cautiously walked outside her room, checking to see if the crazy dude wasn't there she ran across the cold floor to Chesta's room. Knocking on the door there was no answer. growling slightly she turned to walk back to her room when she saw Viole and Gatti standing in the hallway. Viole had the nerve to whistle at her. Blushing furiously Ashley pulled the towel closer to her body.  
" Where's the shower.. or girls room?" Ashley asked, slightly bluntly.  
" Well, we don't have a separate one for girls, considering your the only on board the Vione. So, you'll have to shower with us." Gatti answered with a grin on his face, Ashley scowled all the while paled at the thought.  
' What if there are no shower curtains?' Ashley told herself, then blinking she nodded and looked at the boys. " Wait here a moment." She said and ran into her room, quickly changing into her swimming suit, she grabbed the towels and came out. The two boys nearly had nose bleeds when she stepped out of the room.  
To them the bathing suit was a piece of lingerie, the bathing suit was a two piece, the bottoms were black and looked more like tight underwear. They had crimson ties at the sides and the excess of the ribbons trailed shortly down her thighs. The top was black and exactly like a sports bra only made of nylon. The trim was also crimson and it said the words 'Mossimo' in the middle of the chest area, the top was so tight you could see her nipples through the tight fabric, since it was very cold in the hallway. Her hair was let out of it's bun to fall to her waist and it made her look extremely sexy. She rose an eyebrow as she pointed her conditioner bottle towards them.  
" You two ok?" She asked, they slowly nodded and quickly turned around so they couldn't see her. Shrugging she followed them to the showers, all the while praying there were showers in the room.  
  
Dilandau was in his quarters down the hall from the showering room, he was outraged. This stupid girl from the Mystic Moon just pops up and threatens him and not only that but she, she a woman, hit him!! Growling he unclasped his armor and threw it down on his bed. He couldn't believe it, and Folken stood up for her!! He was completely pissed off. He wanted to destroy something, though if he destroyed something that wasn't already destroyed it would be his bed and he needed that. Sighing he sat down and angrily yanked his boots off his feet. He didn't really want to go to this ball, and what makes everything worse, he was being forced to escort that damned girl there. If this day could only get worse, just a tad bit more worse, he would certainly burst.  
"Damned girl." He mumbled and sat in complete silence, thinking. He was just sitting there in his black boxers and crimson wife beater shirt that he wore under his armor. He began to think about her. ' Hm, well might as well live with it. It's not like she'll be here forever, she has to go back sometime.' He mused to himself, then he frowned. ' But, you don't want her to leave do you? You want her to stay? You feel something for her and you barely met her. Hell you even tried to hit her!!' The annoyingly, kind, part of his brain put its two cents worth in. 'Shut up!' He snapped inside his head, all he heard was the thing giggle, it sounded faintly like a feminine voice, something he had heard before.  
' You love her don't you, somewhere in your heart it pulls you towards her. And you don't know her.' The voice taunted him, he was getting more angrier by the minute. This thing in his head was having a pissing contest with him, and he knew they could only piss so far before they lost.  
' What do you know, and I do not love her, I hate her!! She hit me!!' He yelled at himself, then thinking how stupid he was for arguing with something in his head he tuned it out. Once again the barriers set back up, pulling the rest of his clothes off he wrapped a towel around his waist and walked out of his room. Hopefully this shower would make him forget that damned girl and her stupid face. ' A cute face.' The voice reminded him, he growled mumbling about burning the stupid bitch in his head as he made his way towards the showers.   
  
Ashley was extremely relieved to find out they did had shower curtains and actually knew what the were. Laughing at her stupidity Ashley noticed all the guys staring at her, blinking innocently, not knowing why they were looking at her Ashley just sat down on a bench away from the others. Her back was to everyone, and she continued to dig through he plastic baggy that held her scrubby, razor, toothbrush, toothpaste, face soap, (( ya know..think clearasil... come on peepz she gets a pimple or two too)). She didn't hear or see Dilandau come in, or everyone who was done with the showers scurry out. And everything become completely silent. All she knew was that water was running, and she figured some people were just busy. Ashley, bored, she just decided to sing, she was sitting, leaning against the cool tiled wall.  
  
Look at me,  
you may think you see who I really am,  
But you'll never know me,  
Ev'ryday,  
It's as if I play a part,  
Now I see,  
If I wear a mask,  
I can fool the world,  
But not my heart.....  
Ashley picked up her hand held mirror and began to study her face, though continued to sing the words. Unaware she had grabbed the attention of an audience, including Dilandau.  
  
Who is that girl I see,  
Staring back as me?  
When will my reflection show,  
Who I am inside?...  
  
I am now in a world where I have to hide my heard,  
And what I believe in,  
But somehow I will show the world,  
What's inside my heart,  
And be loved for who I am...  
  
Who is that girl I see?  
Staring straight back at me?  
Why is my reflection someone I don't know?  
Must I pretend that I'm someone else for all time?  
When will my reflection show,   
Who I am inside?....  
  
There's a heart that must be free to fly,  
That burns with a need to know the reason why,  
Why must we all conceal,  
What we think,  
How we feel?  
Must there be a secret me,  
I'm forced to hide?  
  
I won't pretend that I am someone else for all time,  
When will my reflection show,  
Who I am inside?  
When will my reflection show,  
Who I am inside?  
  
When Ashley finished singing to herself, she heard an applause erupt to her left, slightly startled Ashley opened her violet eyes, which she didn't realize she had closed. She blinked when she realized half the entire Dragonslayers were packed into the large shower room just to hear her sing. Turning red Ashley looked at everyone who was clapping and whistling, smiling brightly to them, Ashley's face faltered when she saw Dilandau standing in front. He wasn't smiling, nor frowning, actually his face portrayed no emotion, though his arms were crossed over his shirtless chest. Realizing everyone else's nakedness besides her own, she picked up he showering supplies and practically ran for a shower stall.  
  
Ashley finished taking a shower, in record time, about fifteen minutes later she was out. Most of the people had cleared out though Dilandau was still there, it was apparent he just got out since his hair was a darker shade of gray other than its usual silver. And some of the water droplets pelted his chest, he looked absolutely hott.  
'Oh. my. God.' Ashley said to herself, then going into a girly daze she just stared into space. Thinking thoughts that weren't supposed to enter her fragile little mind. Ashley just imagined herself running over to him and practically licking all the water droplets off his skin. ( who can't? lol... or maybe it's just meh... ;D ) Though, in he mind he was willingly letting her touch him like that, though everyone knows in real life he'd be blasting you to death with his flame-thrower if you even touched his shoulder with a ten foot pole. Shaking herself out of her little fantasy Ashley sighed, securing her towel on her head. Sighing, she left the shower room, a little bit disappointed by now that she couldn't, no wouldn't, stay. Making it to her room, with several cat calls from the guys, ( OK I forgot to mention, she's wearing her towel and has her swim suit in her hands.) she finally got it open and went inside.  
  
Dilandau stood in the showering room all alone (( awwww :: cries for him::... )) and just stared at the door Ashley had left through. He had to admit, she did have a wonderful body, but from being surrounded by nothing but male bodies on the Vione, who wouldn't be attracted to her? Though he figured he'd kill anyone who went close to her, for some reason he knew he had to protect her to the death. Even if it killed his men, and that was a risk he was willing to take. (( wait.. doesn't that sound a little familiar? :: thinks back to some weird commercial see saw last night and blinks:: o yeah.. lol)) Earlier he almost had to take another shower, a cold shower, it wasn't a pleasant thought that his body reacted to hers this way.  
Though, when she was sitting on the bench singing, he wanted to pounce on her. It seemed like her singing made something in the bottom of his stomach flip, either that or the raspberry jelly he ate that morning. (( why did they put a 'p' in there?)) But, somehow he knew it was him, his other 'persona' was right, he was falling for her. He was falling so hard that if he came in contact with the earth he'd surely go completely out the other side. (( omg I'm so proud of my self..o made that up!! and I didn't need help, now all I have to learn is to unzip my pants so my friend doesn't have to do it anymore.. lol)) Growling at the thought he stomped his way to his room, occasionally being thrown weird sideways glances by his dragonslayers.  
  
Dilandau was not happy to be escorting the girl, his object of affection, though he was trying to denye to himself. He was dressed in his usual red and black armor, his diadem was resting upon his head and his silver hair was dried and in that late 'Beethoven look'. He knocked on the bedroom door that was the barrier between him and Ashley, as soon as his knock ended he heard a thump, and then a 'I'm coming.' Then a muffled 'wait I minute.' Seething, no one told the Lord of the Dragonslayers to wait. Humpfing he opened the door to see Ashley hopping on one foot trying to get her stupid slipper on. When she did get it on and turned around to face him, she didn't know she was so close and ended up ramming into him causing her to stumble backwards a little bit.  
Dilandau was surprised at her appearance, she looked even more beautiful with her hair down. She was wearing a long white satin dress, the dress hugged her chest and stomach areas though flared out for leg room when it reached the bottom of her hips. It had a two inch wide ribbon around her waist that was tied into a bow at the end of a V-shaped opening in her back. the opening was large and ended at her tail bone, where the bow was. Her sleeves were exactly like her kimono's except white, the excess ribbon in the back ended at the hem of her dress much like the sleeves tips. Her dark violet hair was left down, though the top half was held back and tied securely by a thin piece of white ribbon that was tied into a bow. (( think about Minako's hair from SM))   
" I'm to escort you into Palas, and into the Palace." Dilandau told her, Ashley just scrunched her nose up scowling and nodded in agreement. They walked side by side in total silence.  
  
They made it to the banquet without killing each other, which surprised most of the six dragonslayers there, and Folken. Though as soon as they made it there they both glared at each other in side ways glances and headed off to different areas of the room. Dilandau walked over to Folken as Ashley walked over to an empty corner and stood there just watching everyone, occasionally she would find some guys stare at her and feel very uncomfortable. Probably because they were Allen's crew on the Crusade and plus, anyone in this room is scary. Just think about it, who the hell carries a sword in broad day light? Not anyone normal, so she kind of was scared shitless, much less move.  
" You shouldn't have left her." Folken told Dilandau while watching Ashley try to be polite while one of the noblemen tried to persuade her to dance with them. After the fifteenth time Ashley finally got it through his thick head she didn't want to dance at the moment so he left.  
Millerna who had been watching from her perch, which was next to Allen, was outraged. Not once had any of the male noblemen asked her to dance or marry them, and all Allen had been doing all night was talk about that damned girl. Millerna asked as Ashley politely told a third guy to basically screw himself. She was in perfect hearing range and slowly got an idea forming in her head as she looked at her glass of red Vino.  
Paging a waiter carrying a whole tray, he bent over as she whispered something into his ear and slipped a couple coins into his free hand. He nodded smiling and hastily walked over to Ashley, acting like he bumped into her, he actually practically threw the entire tray or red vino all over her white satin dress. (( god don't know about you, but getting a stain out of white satin is like a bitch)) The waiter faked apologizing to her profusely. All Ashley did was smile at him and laugh at her ruined dress, yes she was peeved but thought it not his fault, after all it was just a dress.  
" I am so sorry miss." The waiter told her and began picking up cups and his tray.  
" Don't worry about it, it's just a dress I'll go try and get it cleaned." Ashley said, the waiter looked at her strangely then he felt sorry for coming down to such a level. Ashley just smiled at him and walked past him, the entire room was staring at her but she just ignored them. Walking out into the hallway she slowly made her way to the water fountain. Sitting near the edge she started to take water into the palm of her hands and smear it on her dress, only causing the stain to smear also.  
  
Hitomi noticed what Millerna did and glared at the princess before her, this girl didn't do anything to Millerna. Although she could tell Millerna wouldn't care, she was a princess and could get any man to fall head over heals in love with her. Sighing angrily Hitomi stood up and walked outside without anyone noticing, she walked over to Ashley and sat opposite of her. Watching the girl try to get the stain out somewhat only succeeded in making it worse. Hitomi scooted closer to her and wet her hands in the fountain. But, when she touched the area where the stain was with her wet fingers, she made contact with Ashley's hand. Ashley's pupils dilated and her violet eyes became glazed over as she stared into space, Hitomi's eyes did the same thing and they were both sent into a vision, together.  
  
  
Ashley found herself standing before some lady who was dressed like an angel, she had long waist length green hair and crimson colored yes. She had stark white wings protruding from her back, the woman smiled at Ashley and then Hitomi.   
" Why are we here?" Ashley asked still in awe of the woman's' wings.  
" You have been brought here to witness the near future, if you choose the right and wrong paths in life that are given to you." The woman told them, frowning slightly Hitomi looked over at the slightly younger girl before giving the woman her full attention.  
The scenes changed and Ashley was by herself with the woman, Hitomi must've been in her own version of the future. Ashley was happy to see the lush greenery before her, but soon black billows of smoke clouded her vision of sight, coughing she swatted it away from her face only to see the once green foliage, dead and blackened to a crisp.   
' This must be the bad one' Ashley said to herself, the black smoke was too much for her lungs. Ashley began to cough so hard she ended up falling to her knees. If her arms weren't held out she would have fallen face first into the blackened grass.  
Soon the greenery that was being burned, was back to normal, Ashley quit coughing and started heaving in large amounts of fresh, clean air. Looking up into the sad face of the angel Ashley found her wavering voice. " What the hell was that?!?"  
" That's exactly what it was, hell. Though you have the power to change it, you have the power to change fate with your mind." The angel kneeled down before Ashley and cupped her face with her hands. " Ashley, do not let the war taint your outlook on life, no matter what happens do not give up and strive. You are the Haned Megami se Tenshinranman soshite Kyuui, you are the Winged-Goddess of Innocence and Peace." The angel told her, Ashley blinked and figured she was freaking out. " Yes, you should have been the winged-goddess's opposite the Dark Winged-Goddess, and you two would battle it out for the fate of the cosmos. But, you have proven yourself too innocent, yes you will have to fight, but that time will come later. Right now you must focus on staying pure, do not let the darkness cloud your vision and destroy Gaea, please I beg you." The woman cried before leaving in a flurry of white sparkles, similar to the white light that brought her here. The scene changed, and Ashley's normal vision came back, she blinked a couple of times into Hitomi's green eyes.   
Then, Hitomi let go of Ashley, that was a big mistake, as soon as their hands left each other a searing pain went through Ashley's head. Ashley's pale hands made their way to her head, clutching it Ashley fell off the side of the fountain and into the green grass. Letting out a long, high pitched scream of pain Ashley started pulling on her hair trying to get it to stop. Though, as she started screaming the pain became worse, which made her scream even higher.  
  
Hitomi didn't know what to do, though she was crying, he vision had certainly scared her, she had seen her and Ashley. They were both staring at each other, though dressed in different clothing, pretty much ancient. Ashley was holding a staff and Hitomi had a sword. they were both clothed in white, though she had three different versions of the same vision. It was either they wore white, or they were opposite, one wore white the other wore black. But the outcome was always the same, they both ended up into a heated battle, until.... she didn't know but she didn't feel like it was someone dying. Though she didn't know who, and who ever won would always determine the fate of the cosmos, and mainly Gaea. Hitomi huddled up into a little ball of protection and let her tears flow freely down her cheeks. She began to rock back and forth as Ashley's screams of pain became higher and longer. Soon the six dragonslayers, Dilandau, Folken, Allen, Van, Merle, and practically the entire people invited to the banquet were outside crowding around.  
Van was at Hitomi's side though he couldn't get Ashley's screams of pain out of his mind, they were high pitched and frightening. Everyone could tell she was either going mad or dying. She started lashing out and pulling her hair, she even ripped her dress on one side to keep from ripping her hair out. Ashley had thrown herself on her back her head was banging wildly against the damp ground, each time it made a sickly loud thump. She had tears running down her face and her eyes were squeezed shut, Her arms were shaking badly and her legs would arch upwards every time she hit her head. Soon, all dragonslayers were trying to hold down her body, though without warning and her body convulsing like it was kept throwing them off of her. Every once in a while she would end up hitting someone in the face with her feet and arms as she shook violent and beating herself into the ground. Soon, Allen and Van left Hitomi with Merle to hold the girl down, along with Dilandau who was trying to keep her head from ramming into the ground.   
Though, even this wasn't enough, for such a small girl she was definitely strong when she was in pain. Her head began to hurt worse (( wouldn't yours too if it was being slammed into the ground)), in a blinding light Ashley's body stiffened and her open mouth went to scream again when nothing came out, her eyes snapped open wide and stared into the faces of everyone before they glazed over and the light faded away. Her body stopped thrashing around wildly. Her body didn't move, her chest wasn't even moving, which meant. Her heart had stopped and she was no longer breathing. Millerna pushed her way through the crowd and ended up next to Ashley who was dead still, blinking she knew if she hurried she could get the heart to start again.  
" Someone give me their shirt!!" Millerna demanded, Van quickly took his shirt off and gave it to Millerna, without much thought, she tugged the top part of Ashley's dress off flashing all of Gaea. Though no one cared they were wondering what was going to happen to the girls from the Mystic Moon.  
Laying the shirt over Ashley's small breasts, she crisscrossed her hands over her chest and began to push into her hard. With each movement Ashley's body shook and her lolled lifelessly. Scrunching her nose up, Millerna looked at Dilandau all the while still doing CPR. " plug her nose with your fore finger and thumb, tilt her chin up and breath into her mouth." Millerna commanded him, nodding slightly her did as told and began to breath into her mouth.  
Soon everyone was standing there for what seemed like years, but was actually pushing two hours. Allen had to pick Millerna off of Ashley's dead body, Dilandau stopped trying to push air into her lungs and sat back just staring at her. Everyone was stunned, one minute this girl was smiling and carefree, out to get a stain out of her dress when the next. She was basically trying to kill herself, and now she had succeeded, Ashley was dead. Most of the crowd, teary eyed, walked to their chambers, all except Millerna, Dilandau, Van, Hitomi, whom had calmed down, Allen, Merle, Folken, and all six dragonslayers.  
It was an hour later when Millerna decided to lean over and close Ashley's eyelids so she wasn't staring at everyone. Then it happened, Ashley's body convulsed forward and her once lifeless eyes were glistening. She started coughing uncontrollably, while Millerna screamed. Everyone was wide eyed, somehow a very dead person came back to the world of the living.  
  
~ where Ashley's spirit was~  
  
Ashley was standing outside of her body, the angel lady standing across from her looking down. The lady looked at Ashley over her body and smiled sadly, Ashley looked at the woman and blinked.   
" Am I dead?" Ashley asked finally.  
" Yes, you are. But, I am here to tell you it is not your time. Go back tot eh world of the living, and stay pure." The woman told her. Frowning Ashley looked at the lady like she was crazy.  
" Ho the hell do I do that?" The woman laughed and looked at her adoringly.  
" Just lay yourself back into your body." Ashley shrugged and sat down, then laughed at what a sight she must've made. Then laying completely down she felt herself jerk forward almost having her eyes poked by Millerna.  
  
~ Now~  
  
Everyone stared at Ashley as Millerna checked for any signs of heart problems, or something to explain what was going on. Finding nothing she sat back, Ashley just looked at everyone, when she tried to speak, she only resulted in fainting. Falling backwards she fell right into the awaiting arms of Dilandau who picked her up and looked at Folken for instructions on what to do.   
" Take her to the Vione, she may need medical help, thank you Princess Millerna, I will make sure Ashley knows of your efforts." Folken told her, Millerna nodded and watched the retreating form of Dilandau's back.  
No one noticed the angel watching the two sides sadly then turning to the figure carrying Ashley she spoke. " Good luck mai otome." She said with a smile before disappearing in a flurry of the same white sparkling lights.  
  
Note: Omg... I got scared while writing this... oi..anyways I'm glad I deleted this thing and had to retype it. Gave me more inspiration, that and listening to StarChild... anyhoo please read and review, though it dun matter. Anyhoo, bai and thankz for reading!! 


	4. Ashley learns of her true family

Disclaimers: I dun own Escaflowne but I do own Ashley/Kurai.  
  
  
  
Haned Megami se Tenshinranman soshite Kyuui   
( Winged-Goddess of Innocence and Peace)  
  
Chapter Four  
  
It was about mid-day the next day when Ashley finally came to. She was groggy and her head was hurting really badly. Slowly fluttering her eyes open she quickly closed them again as the harsh white lights and ceiling tried to blind her. A dull pain went through her head and she tried to open her eyes again. This time more cautiously, suceeding it opening them she tried to sit up. Though when she did, her head seemed to loll, it hurt really bad though she couldn't remember why. All she remembered was going to the banquet in Palas, getting Vino on her dress, going outside to the water fountain to try and get it out. Then Hitomi came out and tried to help ,then its blank from then until now when she woke up.  
Her lips were dry and cracking, not a very pleasant feeling and to make matters worse, she was alone and thirsty. Breathing in a shaky breath she was tired, though knew she'd be ok, except for the damned pain in the back of her head.   
' Where did it come from? I don't remember hurting myself.' She said to herself, not noticing someone had crept into the room while she was pondering aimlessly.  
" Penny for your thoughts." The familiar low voice said to her. Blinking Ashley's head jerked up only to result in her wincing in pain and a smirk on Folken's face, though it was a mask underneath he wanted to hold and like the little sister she is and tell her it's ok.  
" Nah, but here's a quarter for you to call me." She joked, at his puzzled expression, she blinked. " I'll explain later, right now I'm starving." Folken slightly chuckled and Ashley rolled sideways off the bed. Thinking she fell Folkem caught her under the arm. She just looked up at him funny and straightened herself up, she looked down at the outfit she was wearing and noticed she was changed into a white hospital gown, though it was made of cotton. Not that weird flimsy paper ones like on Earth, these felt better. Though she tried not to think about who dressed her, only god knew (( god being: cough*dilandau*cough)) and that's the way it would stay.  
" Well, lead the way to food." Ashley exclaimed, her hair was everywhere and she needed to brush it from her little fight with herself the night before.  
Gradually her head began to feel better though not much. She needed aspirin and she knew it was in her room, though didn't want to take any medication on an empty stomach, it always made her sick.  
Following Folken out the med-bay doors he looked her over before shrugging. They walked side by side down the hallway with Ashley earning weird glances from the other slayers with some of them whispering to each other. Wondering why everyone was staring at her and talking about her Ashley let it go because she was hungry, and when she was hungry someone better be outta her way or all hell will break loose.  
They made it to the mess hall without anyone dying, which was good on everyone's part. When the doors slid open eveyone turned to see who it was, everyone was wide eyed and staring at Ashley whom everyone besides her six dragonslayer freinds, Dilandau, and Folken had named insane, crazy, or unstable. Blinking, the slayers she recognized as possible 'allies' with her were all seated at a table, they didn't notice her which was a good sign. And if they did they didn't make it an effort to make her anymore uncomfortable. She looked over at Folken and he motioned for her to go sit.   
" I'll get you and I some food and bring it over, go and talk to them." Ashley smiled at him. He was acting like a protective older brother, some how Ashley felt a connection that was more than freinds or adoptive sister brother. It ran through the veins, though no one was about to address the feeling. Nearly squeeling at the thought of talking to someone, Ashley wanted to know why everyone was staring at her. She knew it was her appearance, she knew her hair was all tangly but she had just come from the med-bay though she still didn't understand why she was there.  
Practically running towards the dragonslayers she all but huggled them to death. She wanted to but didn't, for some reason she was happy to see them. They all smiled at her and Dallet scooted over to she could sit inbetween him and Guimel.  
" Wow, Ashley how long you been out?" Gatti asked inbetween bites of his lunch. Everyone was watching the smiling girl as she just watched them eat.  
" I just got out, which brings me to my next question. Why was I there?" Chesta nearly spewed his vino all over everyone, and Dilandau raised a silver eyebrow at this question.  
" You mean you don't remember?" He said to her, he had a coy smile on his face as he cocked his head to the side. He was sitting diagonal from her on the other side. She nodded 'no' and his eyes practically bugged out of his head.  
" Ashley, you totally freaked. You were practically beating yourself into the ground." Viole told her seriously, he was studying her to see if she was joking. But, it was clear she wasn't joking.  
" You're joking, I did that... woah.. weird.. ya know and I don't remember anything about it." Ashley said, unconciously she rubbed the back of her head as it began to throb. "Though I have one hell of a souveneir." Ashley joked, some of them chuckled though still shocked.  
" Selective Amnesia." Guimel said, everyone turned to him and he took it as his cue to continue. " Selective Amnesia, very common in cases like this. You must've seen something horrifying to have beaten yourself up, but then again you did die." He was more or less talking to himself more than them. He put a finger to his chin and started to tap it thoughtfully.  
" I..I died.." Ashley said, blinking.  
" Yeah, after you quite convulsing, you like died. You stiffened. Millerna was there and started doing CPR. She had to use Van's shirt to..um..cover you.. and she had Dilandau-sama breath air into your lungs. They tried for two hours, then they quit only because Allen dragged Millerna off of you. Then like an hour later you came back, you like lurched forward suddenly and started coughing. It was scary, though we were happy you were alive. After that you went to tell us something but fainted." Ashley thought about this and blinked, then everything started coming back to her in one big event. He head exploded as the pain in the back of her head grew bigger and bigger, until finally it burst. Slowly she let unconciously let her hands creep up her face, Ashley grabbed her head and curled her fragile fingers into her dark violet tendrils. Her eyes squeeezed shut as the memories came rushing back, flash by flash she was remembering. And boy did it hurt, she threw her head back and screamed long, hard, and high pitched. The dragonslayers were scared by now, a loud crash of plates were heard as Folken came running out. He saw Ashley shaking and screaming. Gatti grabbed her left arm and pulled it from her hair, as Dallet took her right arm. Her legs started kicking an she wouldn't stop screaming. Tears of pain rain down her face, remembering things this fast can actually damage a persons brain beyond repair. Guimel took her leg leg as it started jerking back and forth as Chesta took her right leg. Folken was at the doors of the mess hall as the guys took the screaming girl back down to the med-bay.  
A doctor had the dragonslayers put the girl on the bed, he looked at the poor girls before strapping her down to the bed. She was still screaming, her eyes were open though tears were streaming from them. Her screams were starting to subside and all that came out were choked sobs and her body quit convulsing.  
Ashley now knew everything, she breathed in a shaky breath as she felt the doctor stick a needle into her arm. Suddenly feeling very tired she closed her eyes and fell asleep. Folken looked tiredly around the room that was filled with Ashley's six freinds, half freind half enemy, three nurses, two doctors, and himself.  
" What did you all tell her?" He asked in a quiet in calm voice.  
" We told her what happened, she asked so we complied." Chesta answered confused.  
" FOOLS!! Receiving information about a horrifying experience this early and fast can make a person go insane. She's lucky she handled it better than normal people." Folken told them, though he was slightly angered, didn't these fools know anything. He turned towards the doctor and the poor man almost coward in fear. " How long with she be out?" He asked, the doctor straightened himself and answered.  
" About four hours at the maximum, its whenever she chooses to wake in the time being." Then the doctor left, Folken pinched the bridge of his nose and looked around at everyones face finally landing on Ashley's.  
' It has been a long time since I've seen her. I will not have something like this take my sister away.' Folken said to himself gazingly adoringly at his sister.  
" We will go and train, Folken alert my worried men when she awakens. " Dilandau said, walking out of the room. He was using his heartless bastard facade and so far it was working. He did care for her well being just chose not to show it.   
  
Folken turned back to Ashley after everyone had hesitantly left, he couldn't beleive it. He had gotten a blood sample the doctors had taken from Ashley while she was unconcious the first time. They ended up doing blood tests and found out that her blood was very closley related to Folkens. He did have a younger sister, one year after his brother Van was born, his mother gave birth to another baby, a girl. Folken was ecstatic that day.   
  
~Flashback~  
  
Folken stood in the room in front of his father whom was holding the tiniest baby he had ever seen. The baby was wrapped in a pink blanket and wondered why since the baby was most likely a boy. His father turned to him with a large grin on his face, he was so happy.  
" Folken, I'd like you to meet your new baby sister." He said proudly, Folken's eyes bugged out of his head at the word 'sister' Now he had something to protect, other than his little brother, but he wouldn't need protection any longer.  
"What is her name?" He finally asked, his father looked at their mother Varie. She had sweat beaded on her eyebrows and underneath her eyes.She smiled weakly and answered them both. " He name is to be Kurai Murasaki, because of her hair." Then everyone leaned closer, she indeed had dark violet hair.   
" So it is to be so, I christian thee, Kurai Murasaki de Fanel." Folken liked the name had a nice ring to it.   
  
~ End Flashback one~  
  
Folken watched his sister sleep as he thought about the day she had to leave because of her gift, she was only three then.  
  
~ Flashback~  
  
Kurai had just turned three two days ago, her shoudler length dark violet hair hung loosely around her. She hated dresses, and her mother knew this and decided she could wear pants until she became of age. So, right now Kurai was dressed in a pair of black leggings that were tucked into a small pair of black boots that went to mid calf and had a flat soles on them. Her dark violet top was exactly like Van's, she looked up to him and Folken so she had to have shirts made like theirs.  
Her large violet eyes scanned the feild for her brothers, she couldn't find them anywhere. Soon she found them playing together under some trees, squeeling in delight she ran towards them and latched onto Folken right leg while her older brother Van had his left hand trying to pull him foreward.  
" Folkie.... Van.. pway wif meh!!" Kurai cried out, her violet eyes held the innocence she would forever hold. That was when he heard their parents talking about Kurai.  
  
" Varie we can't just send her to some planet without a guardian!!" Gou exclaimed, he was jsut as worried as she was about their daughter gift being told ot enemy countries who would most likely kidnap her for their own purposes.  
" That is why I was going to send someone with her." Varie explained to her husband. Yes, this would be harder for her but it was for the well being of her child.  
  
Folken looked down at his sister and was appauled at the thought of sending her away. True he knew she possessed the gift of telling the future and sometimes he didn't like what was being said. Though he could never help it, what she sees is what she sees. Though what they didn't know was that because of her gift she could twist the future to her own will. Whatever she wanted would happen, if she wanted it to rain cows tomorrow it would happen.  
  
~ End Flashback~  
  
That year his sister had dissappeared in a column of bright light, he had lost the battle of the great dragonslaying, ended up joining Zaibach, his father died, his mother died after leaving to find him, and Van became an awaiting King at age Five. Folken sighed, now that he thought about it, his father died because of a broken heart. He might of died because of her being sent away, then he was forced to do the dragonslaying ritual which turned him away from Fanelia and into Zaibach's awaiting arms, and that made his mother commit an odd form of suicide which led to Van's corrination.  
Looking down at the peaceful face of his sister he sighed, though this was not her fault. Yes, she could twist fate and destiny at her very whim, but what three year old tells it to make her family miserable?  
  
  
Dilandau sat on a set of wooden bleachers while he watched his men train, his mind wouldn't get off of that girl. Her screams, they were horrifying, even for him the great pyromaniac who loved to hear people screaming in agony thought it disturbing. It was very disturbing, it was almost like someone was tearing up her insides or something. He would never forget the first time she went into one of those fits. He was almost scared, yes he the great Lord Dilandau of the great Dragonslayers was scared. Then to make matters worst the second time she went into it, he had created it, he had hurt her and it was only because he brought the memory back. Yes it was all of them, but he was the one who taunted her, who said ' You don't remember?' which practically gave dead away to questions they shouldn't have answered.  
He should have left the question alone, his men should have left the question alone. He didn't even think about the other Dragonslayers who had no idea what the hell was going on. All they knew was that the crazy girl was screaming and crying out of the blue. Growling Dilandau shook his head, but he couldn't quit thinking about it.  
' Geez, I can't even watch my men train without her popping into my hed.' He growled to himself and let his eyes turn into slits. ' This is not good, definately not good.' He told himself rather harshly.  
  
  
Folken stayed by Ashley's side until she woke up which was three hours later, she must've been exhausted from the memories that came rushing back to her, and so quickly. Ashley opened her eyes to see the blinding white light again, laughing to herself she croaked out still with her eyes closed.  
" De'javue." Ashley laughed and opened her eyes again, turning to Folken whom she knew what there from the beginning. He was staring at her intently Ashley blinked wondering what was up. " What, did I die again?" She asked slightly joking about her earlier spell. He smirked a little bit and just kept looking at her.  
" Ashley, there is something I need to tell you." He started off, then Ashley blinked, nodding it was his cue to continue. " This may seem hard to beleive but recent blood test revealed that you are my sister." Ashley blinked, then rose an eyebrow. Scrunching her nose up she tried to process this information.  
" Man, I learn something new everytime I wake up..maybe next time I'll find out I'm pregnant." Ashley laughed though she was disturbed. She was Folken's sister, though she lived on Earth.   
" But, there's more." He trailed off and Ashley nodded for him to continue. " Van, is also your brother and mine." Ashley blinked at this while her violet eyes grew darker.  
" You mean to tell me, you are trying to destroy your brother!! And then you kidnap me and practically make me switch sides!! I can't beleive this!!" Ashley exclaimed she was rather peeved. Though as time went on she calmed down and figured there to be a good explanation.  
" No, I did not. At the time we did not know you were mine and Van's sister. If I would have known I would have told Lord Dornkirk to screw himself with fate and left you on Earth. Then probably after this war was over I would have brought you back to live with your true family." He explained. Ashley thought about this a moment before swallowing hard. She studied Folken's it had no barriers and he was just looking at her. All emotion and brotherly love stamped on his face. Ashley soon smiled then looked at his confused face. " So Van's my brother eh? Damn, why are the cute ones always related to me or taken?" Ashley laughed as Folken nearly choked on his words.   
' Wait, if i was sent to Earth because no one would be able to get my gift, then wouldn't they change my name?' Looking at Folken Ashley bit her bottom lip before asking her question.  
" What's my real name?" She asked him, he smiled down at her as he stood up before answering her.  
"Your full name is Kurai Murasaki de Fanel, and your title is the Princess Kurai Murasaki de Fanel of Fanelia." Ashley thought about the words and they seemed to fit her. Thinking about what he nem meant she almost laughed, how obvious?  
" Dark violet? man, mom really had a nack for naming people." Ashley mused thena nother thought struck her.  
" Where are our parents?" Ashley asked, then turned because she noticed that a draft was coming in the room. But, what she didn't expect to see was Dilandau's scowling face practically swearing a painful and horrible death.  
  
  
Dilandau couldn't beleive what he had just heard, this girl was related to Van Fanel, she was related to the dragon. So that would explain her being able to see the future. She was a descendant of Atlantis, she was cursed by the dragons, the mystical draconians. Plus, she is the Princess of Fanelia. He glared at Ashley through slitted eyes and Ashley was quite taken back by this.  
" D-Dilandau what're you doing here?" She asked him, he only ignored her and turned to Folken.  
" I was wondering when I could attack the dragon?" He asked, Ashley blinked and looked at Folken. Whom he felt like he didn't even know anymore, all this time the man claimed to be Folken Strategos. But was really Folken Laquor de Fanel of Fanelia.  
" Now if you like." Was all Folken said, Ashley just blinked. How dare this guy, her brother, do this to his own family. As soon as Dilandau left Ashley lashed out.  
" You ass!! What in all the fucking hell are you doing?!? That's your brother!! didn't we just go through this conversation!!" Ashley cried and glared at her newly found brother. He just laughed and looked at her with wicked crimson eyes.  
" I may have a brother and sister, parents, but the day the dragon took my arm was the day Folken Fanel died! My family is Zaibach and these soldiers!" He exclaimed, and in a hurry he turned awayHis cape billowing angrily behind him. Ashley just blinked, this couldn't be right.  
Getting up off the bed, Ashley ignored the dieing pain at the back of her neck she needed answers. She needed to know why she was given up, why the people she was given too changed her name, and what her parents were like. Ashley ran as fast as she could to catch up with the fast walking Folken. He was almost to his library when Ashley grabbed his arm. Standing in front of him she was breathing heavily and trying to catch her breath.  
" I have a few questions to ask you." She said and watched him as he rose a pale blue eyebrow. Then a thought came into her head, ' why does every kid have different color hair?'  
  
  
Note* Just so you know, I'm going to be calling Ashley Kurai from now on. It is her real name after all. Anyhoo continueing with this fic.  
  
Dilandau was in his melefs cockpit waiting when the time was right, it was slowly getting darker by the minute and couldn't wait until he could destroy something. His stealth cloak made him invisible to anyone though once he started burning things they would most likely see his melefs arm. Dilandau continued to wait, he couldn't stand it, waiting was not one of his best subjects.   
" Sir, what are our orders?" Viole's firm voice came over the intercom. He couldn't wait to get this over with, he wanted to know if Ashley was ok or had woken up yet. Yes, Dilandau left to check on her but when he came back he seemed to be fighting with himself and ordered everyone to get in their melefs and head out.  
" Wait until I give the signal, we'll try and smoke out Escaflowne." Dilandau said, his crimson eyes gleamed at the thought of fire. So hot, wild, filled with rage, fire was the element that representated everything Dilandau was. He loved fire, though being a pyromanic has its own problems, like the time he caught his first bed on fire.  
Dilandau sat and waited until it was completely dark, smirking he moved his melef towards the city. " Alright now attack!!" He cried out with glee, though some where in the back of his mind he couldn't help but think about the new information he had on Ashley, or should he say Kurai?  
  
Kurai sat down on a black plus couch near the fire place of Folken's library, though only moments before she was known as Ashley. Smirking to herself, she always felt the named didn't suit her and now knew why. Though, she couldn't get he way Dilandau looked and acted around her, had he heard she was related to Folken and Van? Was he made? did he hate her? All the questions raced through her head as she tried to think about it.   
' So what if he hates me. It's not like I like him, much less love him.' Kurai said to herself, she almost laughed outwardly at the though. Her in love with him, then the idea struck her, what if she was?  
" What're you doing?" Folken asked, he came back in with an outfit for Ashley to wear.  
" Nothing, just sitting here thinking." Was her non-chalant reply, he laughed to himself.  
" You shouldn't do that so much you'll hurt yourself." Glaring at her newly found older brother she took the cloths from his out stretched hand and began to walk towards the an area to change when she looked down at the clothing and stopped.  
She recognized the whole outfit, it was the same style outfit she wore before she left for Earth. It was the outfit she insisted on wearing only because Van and Folken wore one like it. Van's was always red tank top, khaki pants, and dark brown boots with matching gloves. Folkens was blue, like a cobalt blue, Kurai loved their outfits. So, her mother took her to the seamstress and the woman asked what colors she wanted. She picked black and violet, she evern got a pair of khaki pants with deep mahogany colored boots.   
Turning back to look at Folken she smiled, he had remembered, even when she didn't he did. Turning to go change she quickly, and happily took off the gown and put on the tight black leggings, her dark violet tank top that had black stitchs near the neck, and pulled on the black mid-calf boots. Happily she all but ran over to her brother and smothered him in a large hug. Folken smiled and patted her head, holding up a hairbrush Kurai sheepishly took it and began to brush her hair.  
" Ok, ask your questions." He told her, Kurai nodded and began.  
" Well, what were mum and dad like?" Kurai asked, Folken sighed and closed his crimson eyes as he began to remember.  
" They were wonderful, Gou Fanel was the name of your father. He died the same year you left, so did mom. Her name was Varie, very beautiful, she had long waist length dark green hair. She had crimson eyes like me and Van, though father had jet black hair and deep red eyes like mothers. They were a match made in heaven." Folken said, he opened his eyes and saw that Kurai was confused.  
" You say green hair and red eyes?" She mused to herself. ' So it was my mother who was warning me.' She felt tears of joy that someone cared for her seep into the corners of her eyes. Folken nodded his head slightly confused but left it alone.  
Standing up Kurai ran a hand over her stomach before she smelled the familiar smell of smoke. Frowning she turned to Folken who was already as a window looking down on Austuria. Walking hesitantly over to him, she saw it, Austuria was burning and the black smoke was rising quickly. She could almost make out the distinct shouts of fear, worry, and anger in the voices of Austuria's people. Her violet eyes went wide as she noticed that the first were starting by themselves, she couldn't beleive what was happening. Kurai felt the Vione rock and knew they were takin flight, it was horrible, the black smoke seemed to be all that she saw. Turning away from the window, she set her face into an emotionless mask. Her brother was no longer in the room and she figured he'd gone to see what was happening.   
  
Kurai found her way to the melef bay, she had stopped off to her room earlier and gotten her mp3 player and was currently listening to 'StarChild'. (( gotta love that song)) She had her eyes closed and the music was turned up all the way. The bass was set to the econd level so it was like booming in her ears. She could barely hear anything, swaying her body to the rythem of the music she began to chew her melon flavored bubblegum occasionally blowing bubbles and head banging to every thump in teh techno music. She barely heard the rather loud hanger door open, and her freinds melefs come in. She stopped chewing on her bubblegum. the high pitched voice of the woman singing the song blarred through the large room and everyone could hear it, it's surprising she hadn't blown an ear drum.   
Dilandau had had enough of this inferriorating music and walked up to her, her head still boobing as she rocked her body in tune with the fast beating music. Growling furiousoy when he tried to tell her to turn it down she just ignored him. Then without thinking he practically ripped the mp3 player out of her hands and fumbled around with it until it turned off. Kurai was pissed off, though held it in and counted to ten, seemed like Dilandau was in a pissed off mood and she didn't want to go and make it worse now would she? Glaring at Dilandau she still hadn't forgotten about his little stunt earlier, she still hated the way he glared at her through slitted black pupils.  
" What was that for!!" Kurai tried to keep her voice down but it wasn't working, for some reason he got her all worked up.  
" Aw, is the little princess mad?" He just taunted her, Kurai clenched her fists and wished she didn't have a concious or else she would have hit him by now. He was really hanging on her last nerve, the funny thing was that he knew exactly how to push her buttons.   
" No, but you will be when I have my foot up your ass. What's your problem?" Kurai said calmly, she happy with herself, and it showed in the wicked grin that was growing on her face.  
Most of the dragonslayers that had gone with Dilandau had left, Kurai gave her mp3 player to Chesta to take back to her room. She smiled at him kindly as he nodded and left the hanger. Then the fighting started.  
" What doy ou mean what's my problem? You're my problem!!" He screeched at her, his eyes were growing darker as each word let his mouth and his right eyebrow was twitching.  
Kurai's blackish purplish eyebrows rose into her hairline, so she was his problem eh? Wel now she was just about to get worse. " Well maybe I wouldn't be your problem if you weren't such an ass!!" He voice grew louder and louder with each word and it echoes off of the metal of the melefs and the walls of the hanger. Dilandau just smirked and cocked his head to the side as he steped towards her. Glaring Kurai stepped back until she was against the wall of the hanger and Dilandau was meerly two steps in front of her.   
" Well, at least you've finally got what I am into your thick girly head." He said to her in a more calm voice, this seemed to piss of Kurai even more, growling low in her throat she went to open her mouth to yell a profanity at him. But, when she tried she couldn't for he had quickly closed the distance between them and had his pale lips crushed forecefully against hers. Blinking she just stood their rigid and stiff, Dilandau was looking into her eyes, his fiery crimson eyes bore into her own wide violet ones and he smirked against her lips.  
' Well at least she shut up.' He thought to himself, as he leaned back he wasn't prepared for what was happening next.  
  
  
  
Koori: What will happen next? Will Kurai helplessly fall into his arms and kiss him to death, or will she do something else. mwuahahaha I'll have to get back to you in the fifth chapter for you to find out, Ja Ne... oh did you like the fact that she was Folken and Van's little sister..I did.. lol..bai!! 


	5. Wrath of the girl from the Mystic Moon: ...

Disclaimers: I do not own escaflowne but I do own Kurai, I decided to use Ashley as her name, even though she is Kurai..just makes it easier. lol sorry.  
  
Haned Megami se Tenshinranman soshite Kyuui  
  
Chapter Five  
  
  
Ashley stood there speechless, she couldn't beleive he had just kissed her. At one moment she was stunned, then she was happy, then she was full of rage. With her violet eyes gleaming, she pulled back her arm and slapped Dilandau hard. He kept his head to the side as he listened to Ashley run out of the melef bay. He couldn't beleive he just kissed her much less touched her. It was extremely shocking to him, though then again it wasn't. Shaking his head he walked slowly out of the hanger with one thought in his mind. why?  
  
Ashley ran away from the melef bay thinking about what had just happened, she couldn't beleive he kissed her. And she couldn't beleive she had hit him. Of course he pissed her off, but kissing her? Running down one hallway she came a room where it had all fifteen dragonslayers in the room all swordfighting. Chesta stood off to the side without a sparring partner since Dilandau wasn't there. Ashley smiled and ran over to him, he looked at her confused and started speaking.  
" What're you doing here?" Chesta asked her, he was facing her though he violet eyes looked past him and at the graceful movements of the dragonslayers.  
" Just here, dunno why... do you ...do you think you could show me how to do that?" She asked like pointinf towards what Migel and Guimel were doing, which was sparring with swords. Chesta looked at her like she was crazy though when he looked into her pleading violet hues he caved.  
" Fine, go get two wooden practice swords from the table over their and come to me in the middle of the room." He told her, nodding excitedly, all thoughts considering what happened with Dilandau left her mind. Running exstatically to the table to grabbed two practice swords and half ran half leaped over to Chesta. She handed him a sword and took her own, it was light but not too light.  
" Ok, now hold it with two hands and charge at me." He said, blinking, Ashley held it tightly in both of her arms and then blinked.   
" Charge you?" She asked, he smacked his forehead all the while asking himself what he had gotten himself into.  
" Yeah, just run at me and try to hit me with your sword." He said, Ashley nodded unsure and gripped the handle of the sword. Taking in a deep breath she ran at him. Kind of unsure about what to do Ashley just swung her sword at him and he blocked it all the while side stepping.   
Scrunching up her nose she continued to attack him with him effortlessly blocking. Finally they stopped and he took an new approach with her.  
" Ok, now I'm going to attack and you block." He said, nodding Ashley gripped her sword again and didn't notice everyone crowding around them.  
Ashley relaxed her body and for some reason felt like someone was controlling her every move. She could feel someone holding onto her hands so that she held the practice sword and stood against her body to help her move. She looked behind her but no one was there, shaking her head she watched as he ran at her. Taking the offensive he pushed Ashley back, her right heel dug into the hard packed dirt floor of the training room . She pushed her foot down harder but the force he applied made her slide back. Then with a cry and pushed all her strength into pushing him off of her. He looked at her funny and all she did was smile at him. They ran at each other all the while laughing and smiling, they locked and their faces were merely inches apart. Chesta threw her off of him and Ashley stumbled backwards. The crowd started backing up until she fell on her butt. She nodded at the awaiting Chesta and he didn't give her time to get up, he attacked her. She blocked surprisingly with great force, still sitting on her but she got on her knees still blocking his attacks. Then jumping to her feet she attacked him. They weren't holding back anymore and were giving it all they've got. Then out of no where, she twisted her wrist and his sword went flying out of his hands and slide into the wall. Ashley pointed her practice sword at Chesta's throat and got a full blown smile on her face. She took the sword back as applause erupted, Ashley stepped towards Chesta and slung an arm over his shoulder, he smiled at her and looked at the crowd only to go stiff and rigid. Ashley peered into the audience to see Dilandau there and scowling. He came over to them and turned to the dragonslayers.  
" Get back to work!!" He barked, everyone scrambled around trying to find partners to spar with.  
Growling he turned his gaze to Ashley and Chesta, Ashely was glaring at him she just turned her face she other way. Dilandau smirked as he watched Ashley walk out of the room. Turning to Chesta he unsheathed his sword and waited for him to do the same before they started training.  
  
Ashley walked to her room and found the door halfway open, raising an eyebrow she just waked right in to find Folken in there. He was sitting on the dark blue chair that went to her vanity near the closet. Smiling to her older brother she sat in the bay window before turning to him. He smiled back at her before turning his face into a serious one. Blinking Ashley knew this wasn't going to be good.  
" I want you to stay away from Dilandau, and to never, ever go into the training room." Folken told her in a low, serious voice. Ashley's eyebrows went into their hairline for the second time that night and she was confused.  
" What do you mean ' stay away from Dilandau' what do you think I've been trying to do?" She asked him, he laughed at this and turned his twinkling eyes towards her.   
" Ah, yes well then maybe you should try harder. Nothing good will come from messing or being with Dilandau. Just don't go near places he would be in." Folken told her, Ashley eagerly nodded 'yes' and he left her room.  
Sitting by herself in her room, it was dark, and you could see the dark green foliage down below as the Vione made its treck to only god knows where. (( god: Cough*Dilandau*Cough)) Sighing she stood up finally and stretched her arms high above her head. Arching her back slightly she got an idea, she hadn't had enough time to take her things out of the bag besides her clothes so she decided to go through it.  
  
Sitting in the middle of her black carpeted floor, she had her white and blue duffel bag in both hands shaking it vigourisly until all of its contents came spilling out. She noted how many electronical things she brought, and food. Her eyes glazed over and she started to drool as she thought about sitting in her house eating Edy's rocky road flavoed ice cream and watching Gundam Wing on her t.v.   
A knock sounded from her door, which brought her out of her stupor. Sighing a little bit she cleared her throat and yelled out a ' come in '. Soon her room was filled with all six of her dragonslayer freinds. Smiling at them they all came in and sat around her, at least three were sitting on her bed, as they watched her sort through her things.  
" What brings you guys here?" Ashley asked as she set yet another YM magazine off to the side. Apparently she was going to let Cara or Jami borrow them.  
" We just got done with training, Dilandau only kept us two hours, can you beleive it?" Guimel said and watched her pick up a aqua colored thing with gre buttons on it. " What's that?" He asked, Ashley turned to him and smiled.   
" It's called a gameboy, right now I have Evil Zone in it but you can change the games to whatever you want. " (( ok I know Evil zone is only for playstation but I like worship that game.)) Handing it over to him, he took it and flipped the 'on' switch, The screen flared to life and music began to play, soon it was showing them glipses of the contestants in the fights. Most of the dragonslayers were crowded around him as he began to choose who he wanted to be. Surprisingly for Ashley he chose her favorite character, Kakurine.  
" Yah know Kakurine looks exactly like you only with crimson eyes." Gatti pondered outloud. Ashley laughed and picked up her mini stereo system. Blinking she wondered why this was in there, then she remembered Jami wanted to borrow it. Seemed like her freinds borrow everything, setting it up on her night stand she checked the batteries and was happy to find out they weren't even used.  
Flipping the on switch, and hooking her stereo system to her mp3 player she set it to the fourth song. Ayumi Hamasaki's Evolution filled the room. Viole who was next to her fell off the bed in surprise when a woman's voice filtered through the speakers. Ashley started rocking her hips together with the music and began to sing along, moving seductively to the techno beats.   
  
  
Sou da ne bokura atarashii jidai wo,  
Mukaete mitai ne kisekiteki ka mo ne,  
Nido to wa chotto ajiwaenai yo ne,  
Mou ichido Omoidashite,  
  
Kono hoshi ni umare tsuita hi,  
Kitto nandaka ureshikute,  
Kitto nandaka setsunakute,  
Bokura wa naite itan da,  
wow yeah wow yeah wow wow yeah,  
  
Genjitsu wa uragiru mono de handansae,  
Ayamaru kara ne soko ni aru kachi wa,  
Sono mede chanto mikiwamete ite ne,  
Jibun no monosashi de,  
  
Konna toki ni umare tsuita yo,  
Dakedo nanto ka shindette,  
Dakara nanto ka koko ni tatte,  
Bokura wa kyou wo okutteru,  
wow yeah wow yeah wow yeah,  
Konna hoshi ni umare tsuita yo,  
Nandaka totemo ureshikute,  
Nandaka totemo setsunakute,  
Ookina koe de naki nagara,  
wow yeah wow yeah wow wow yeah,  
  
Konna toki ni umare tsuita yo,  
Dakedo kimi ni deaeta yo,  
  
Konna hoshi ni umare tsuita yo,  
Dakedo kimi ni deaeta yo,  
  
Kono hoshi ni umare tsuita hi,  
Kitto nandaka ureshikute,  
Kitto nandaka setsunakute,  
Bokura wa naite itan da,  
wow yeah wow yeah wow wow yeah,  
  
Konna toki ni umare tsuita yo,  
Dakedo nanto ka shindette,  
Dakara nanto ka koko ni tatte,  
Bokura wa kyou wo okutteru,  
  
wow yeah wow yeah wow wow yeah!!  
  
When Ashley finished the guys practically had their eyes bugging out of their head, they had no idea what she was saying. But it was cool, she had danced to the rythem of the fast talking lady in the box. That was when Chesta looked wickedly at the box and unsheathed his sword.  
"That evil box has trapped that poor woman inside!!" He cried out and went to attack it when Ashley cried out in shock and tackled the poor boy to the floor. He looked at her funny, he was laying on his back and she was practically straddeling his chest.  
" No, that box plays music, the woman isn't trapped someone recorded her voice and now I can play it whenever I want." Ashley explained, in the back ground laughter flared and Ashley turned her head to see Dilandau in the doorway of her room laughing full heartily.  
Glaring at him Ashley slid off of Chesta whom stood up and watched Guimel play with the 'gameboy'. Sitting down infront of her stuff, she grabbed all of her cds and set them up in alphabetical order on the shelf of her night stand. She watched as Dilandau came over to her and sat near her. The guys were all having fun playing with her stuff, Viole was flipping through her magazines, Guimel was playing with her gameboy still with Gatti over his shoudler saying how he was dooing really bad, Chesta was looking at her stereo system suspiciously, and then Ryou and Migel were on her bed sorting through her make-up. It was odd sight, no one seemed to acknowledge their captian.  
" Must be after hours." Ashley mumbled to herself.  
She found the dark violet gameboy that you can hook up to the aqua one and play head to head. taking it and the cord she grabbed the aqua one and hooked them together. Now both Guimel and Gatti were fighting each other and laughing at their stupid mistakes. Ashley sat back down and noticed that Dilandau had found her stack of photo albums. One was green with gold trim, another was a floral design. He flipped through the pages and kept raising his eyebrow until it was trying to go beyond his hair line. Ashley sat behind him and peered over his shoulder at what he was looking at. These were the pictures from her last birthday party, when she turned fourteen. Actually come to think about it her birthday was coming up. She laughed as he turned the page and it showed her trying to blow out the candles, which cause she was laughing so hard resulted in her face in the side of the cake from when her freind Kat bumped her. Ashley giggled as the flashbacks started coming.  
  
~Flashback~  
  
It was really cold outside, it was winter time, the date being January 31st, Ashley's birthday. She was dressed in a pale pink long sleeve dress shirt, white tank top underneath, dark blue jeans and white tennis shoes. Her hair was left down with half the top pulled backa nd wied by a pale pink ribbon. She was currently sitting at the table blowing balloons up before the guests started to arrive in one hour. She was watching the Time Squad marathon, and laughed so hard the balloon flew forewards and flew around the room doing loop-to-loops.  
Ashley laughed and her 'mother' came in, she was a beautiful woman, shoulder length strawberry blonde hair and large cobalt blue eyes, dark skinned. For some reason she and her mother never aged the same as other people. True they were the same age but for some reason everyone else around them would grow faster, while Ashley was always left behind being the smallest.   
~End~  
Ashley shook the memory from her head as she felt someone staring at her, she hadn't noticed the dragonslayers leave until she recognized that the room was empty of noise. Looking up from staring at the floor she ended up staring into Diladau's crimson orbs. Sighing Ashley didn't understand why this seemingly angel like child was so horrible, and why her brother didn't want her to be freinds with him if he worked with him. True, Dilandau did kiss her, but it was more of a heat of the moment type deal. Though, after she had slaped him and run off she wanted to return to him and say she was sorry. She should never of done that it was very mean on her part.   
" Dilandau, I"m really sorry about ealier... I didn't mean to slap you. It just came out and.. and I'm really sorry." Ashley looked up at him and was hoping for forgiveness. Dilandau stared at her and shrugged it off.  
Ashley watched him and knew she couldn't hold this against him, after all it was male hormones and she'd have to deal with the same thing if she were at home. She smiled at him and noticed he was laying sideways facing her on the carpet. He had removed his armor and only sat there clad in a white tank top tunic, much like hers, tight black leggings and his knee high black boots. Ashley chewed on he bottom lip and thought about how soft his lips were against hers, regardless if they were crushing together. Heeving a rather large sigh Ashley scrunched up her nose and pouted, she watched him play idly with her carpet and noticed how cute he looked. He no longer had his barriers up and Ashley was happy he was relaxed with her. Smiling rather victoriously, Ashley layed herself on the soft plush carpet, she was staring up at the ceiling and yawned sleepily. She watche dout of the corner of her eye as Dilandau scooted rather closely to her, she frowned slightly but tarnished it. If he even touched a hair on her head her brother would kick his ass, right?  
" I'm sorry for what I said earlier." He mumbled, Ashley's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. According to Chesta Dilandau has never apologized to anyone in his entire life. Blinking Ashley nearly choked on her own saliva, and here he was nervously apologizing to her.  
" It's ok, don't worry about it we all have our jackass moments." Ashley said to him, though inside she added. ' Yours are just all the fucking time.' Still smiling outwardly to him, she was scowling on the inside. She still couldn't get evil thoughts out of her head about him and here he was laying on her floor, next to her, looking all sexy like.  
" Hm, what would you say if I was to kiss you?" Dilandau finally asked her, Ashley rose an eyebrow and looked at him.  
" Well, i ask if you were drunk and knew full well what you were doing, and then if you were still insistant I'd tell you, that your men might come back and walk in on us." Ashley answered rather thoughtfully, Dilandau had somehow gotten closer to her while she was thinking and his body barely touched hers. Ashley stared at him as he leaned over her. His face was just inches from hers and she could tell by the look in his eyes he had a plan formed.  
" And I would reply, that I didn't care." He whispered softly and leaned down, his lips softly touched hers. He closed his eyes slowly, though Ashley had already been there. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip and was surprised when she complied and opened her mouth.  
Ashley's entire world exploded as his tongue tentatively explored the inside of her mouth. Their tongues intertwined together and dueled for dominancy, Ashley's pale hands found their way to his silky silver tresses and continued to run her hands through them. Dilandau ran a hand up her sides until he came to her breasts, he gently stroked the right one with his thumb through her shirt, this cause her to arch her back and moan low in her throat. Satisfied, Dilandau leaned back and watched her face, it was relaxed and held a large smile. Her dark eyelashes laid gently against her pale cheeks, only to move as she slowly opened them. Her eyes were dreamy as she slowly licked her lips. Ashley couldn't beleive that the kiss was like that. She couldn't beleive she actually let him, then Ashley thought about her brother.  
' It would just be great if he walked in on us at this moment.' Ashley thought to herself, she now noticed that her fingers were laced in his silver locks. Smiling to herself she then noticed what they looked like, she was laying on the floor, one leg layng straight, the other arched slightly rubbing against his thigh. He was stradling her waist with his arms on either side of her, with her fingers in his hair. The two just started at each other for a while. Then Dilandau leaned into her, Ashley's breath caught into her throat as she thought about him kissing her. Just when he was about to he stopped and smirked at her vulnerability. and in one swift motion he stood up, grabbed his armor and left, closing the door silently behind him.  
See, Ashley didn't notice due to the fact she had her eyes closed when she awaited the kiss. Laying there on the soft carpeted floor Ashley's lips were reddened from the previous kiss, and were now puckered up. About ten minutes went by before Ashley finally cracked an eye open, then the other one. Scowling Ashley sat up and slammed her hands into the floor.  
"FUCK!!" was the only word that escaped her mouth as she scowled at what Dilandau did.  
  
Dilandau had just come out of his room from putting his armor on when he heard Ashley scream in her room. Shaking his head he walked down towards the mess hall, he didn't really want to leave but he had a previous chat with her older brother and didn't nessecarily want to get in his way at the moment.   
  
~Flashback~  
  
" Dilandau I want you to stay away from her." Folken stated, his voice was low and serious, almost set off vibes that said ' touch my sister with a ten foot pole and I'll kill you'.  
" I can't gurantee that Folken." He told the man, Folken peered at Dilandau kind of suspiciously before nodding and getting back to little 'experiment'.  
  
~End~  
  
Dilandau thought about what he had done with Ashley and mentally sighed, he knew he was in love with this girl and what, she'd only been here three days. He must've been getting soft, he'd have to fix that though, he'd definately have to fix that.  
  
Ashley got up off her carpet when he stomach growled, picked up her gamboy, mp3 player, and a plastic baggy of fig newtons, Ashley went out her door. Listening to Ayumi Hamsaki's Never Ever. Swaying her hips to the music she turned on her purple gameboy and started to play donkey kong. She had her music up to maximum volume so when she turned a corner to go into the mess hall she didn't notice or hear the other slayers. Playing her game she walked through the line occassionally grabbing things to put on her tray. Grabbing a bottle of vino and a glass she came out the line and thought against sitting with the slayers. Instead she walked right past their table, which made Dalet reach back and grab the back of her shirt.  
Stumbling back she had to be careful not to spill her food all over herself or anyone else. Glaring at Dallet it told him he had five seconds to tell her what he wanted since he was keeping her from her beloved food.  
" Do you want to join us?" He asked her, Ashley blinked then took off her headphones, the music blared from within and she nodded 'yes'. After all how could you possible deprive these people of her presence. She noticed how Dilandau was once again sitting diagonal from her though this time she was sitting on the edge of the bench and this time she would not faint or have a weird spaz.  
" So, whatcha guys up to?" Ashley asked them taking a bit of her steak, she absolutely loved steak. Then she remembered her fig newtons, half squeeling half gurgling as she swallowed the steak she opened the zip lock baggy and took one out and popping it into her mouth.  
" What's that?" Guimel asked her, Ashley blinked then handed the bag out to everyone as she chewed on her fig newton, she practically had three packages in her room anyways. Everyone took one and hesitantly put it in their mouths, even Dilandau.  
" It's a fig newton, it's a kind of cookie on earth." She explained, everyone liked them, but Viole ended up eating the entire bag earning him a soft swat to the head by Ashley.  
  
After they talked, ate, drank, and talked some more it was nine-o-clock and time for them all to turn in. Ashley talked Gatti into giving her a piggyback ride on their way to the rooms. After about half way there he started complaining about her being too heavy, which was a joke, Ashley pouted and started looking at herself.   
" I'm not fat." She pouted and bent over to look at her legs, then when she stood up she heard someone snickering behind her and turned around but everyone was gone.  
Frowning Ashley thought this wasn't the least bit funny, then she heard someone laughing to her left, but when she turned to looke no one was there. Slightly scared Ashley could have sworn the guys were with her now they like dissappeared. Ashley turned around and faced the end of the hallway that held her room. Biting her bottom lip she wondered if she could make a mad dash for it and not seem like a wuss. Then it happened, the lights turned out. The hallway became very dark, very scary, and all the shapes started turning into demons of the night. Ashley stiffened as she felt someone walked past her but since her eyes hadn't adjust to the darkness yet she couldn't see who or what it was.  
Swallowing hard Ashley didn't want to seem scared, about to take a step foreward she suddenly felt something stroke her hair from behind. Squeeky Ashley stiffly turned around and immediatly screamed. There was this tall black blob in front of her, Ashley took a step back as it reached for her. The thing was moaning low in its throat, eyes wide in fear Ashley turned and ran as fast as she could but couldn't see her room in the dark hallway. Turning back to see if it was catching up with her she ended up bumping into someone or something. Landing on her butt she was too scared to speak of scream, the thing in front of her was the same thing that was chasing her. Then remembering she had some witch training she blinked. Scooting backwards away from the slowly aproaching figure she bumped into something behind her, looking up she saw that it was the one that was actually chasing her. Scared half to death she figured a light spell would work to help her gain an advantage.  
" Once was dark, now is light, please give me the better sight." She mumbled not even half sure it would work. Then to her surprise she could see int he darkness as if there were millions of lights on.  
Looking at the figures before her she noticed that it was Guimel holding Chesta on his shoulders with a weird black blanket over them, and then Migel holding Viole on his shoulders, while Ryou and Gatti were standing off to the side trying not to laugh. Though she saw Dilandau, and in the darkness nothing made a sound, no one knew where she was. For it was pitch black and they were only relying on sound. Ashley smirked to herself as she walked up to Dilandau, she was about a couple of steps in front of him and he still couldn't see her, that's how black it was. Smiling evilly to herself she walked off a bit until she was near her bedroom door, then she whispered, though since she was kind of far away it echoed.  
" I am everywhere, I am everywhere. You should watch your backs, you should watch your backs." Was all she said, though who ever she sounded like mad them stiffen before they started calling out for Ashley.  
" Ashley is that you are you ok?!?" Ryou was asking, Ashley walked towards them acting like she had been crying. The lights came on and Ashley stood there with her hands over her face pretending that she was crying. Gatti put a hand on her shoulder but it only shook, with what they thought were sobs but were actually laughs. Soon she couldn't hold it in any longer she let her hands fall to her side and she laughed.  
" You are so weird." Guimel said and raised one of his eyebrows.  
" Yeah well atleast I wasn't holding anyone on my shoudlers moaning." Ashley said between laughs. Then she looked at them and said." I'll get you guys when you least expect prepare to feel the wrath of the Mystic Moon. Thens he turned on her heels and left towards her room laughing the entire way there.  
  
Koori: Lol, ok so what is Ashley going to do? What will the boys do? Are they prepared like she said they should be? and when will I stop making stupid stuff up... lol...anyhoo thanks for reading Ja!! 


	6. Wrath of the girl from the Mystic Moon: ...

Disclaimers: I do not own Escaflowne, but I wish, though I do own Ashley, she meh character.  
  
Haned Megami se Tenshinranman soshite Kyuui   
  
Chapter six  
  
  
Ashley was still sleeping when the guys got up the next morning, which was a good thing in their opinions. Apparently they were damn near terrorfied of the 'wrath' they were going to sooner than later endure. They just couldn't imagine what. So, that morning they had their eyes peeled for any kind of weird or odd thing in or outside of their rooms.  
The seven young men were all seated around their table in the mess hall idly chatting and pushing food along the edges of their plates. They were all wary, of everything, and everyone else ont he Vione. For all they know the blasted girl could have made some 'freinds' that would do and tell her things that could give her an edge on her pranks. It was like Armagedon and they were afraid that hell was a little closer to home than they naturally thought.  
" So, Viole what do you think she'll do to us?" Guimel asked as he set his glass down. Viole glanced at him sideways and almost glared at him.  
" I don't know, what do you think she'll do to us?" He asked him back.  
" If I knew I wouldn't be ask'in you." Viole snorted at this while Dalet chuckled lightly. Sometimes some playful bickering amongst themselves always helped to lighten the weight on their shoulders.  
As they resumed their meals, our tiny little female terror was thinking up ideas to torture her freinds. Well, actually she was most likely dreaming them up, but for some reason, everything wasn't right.  
  
Ashley was laying on her bed, which was normal for anyone sleeping in their room... on a bed. She was laying on her back, legs and arms bent at odd angles, neck mushed on one side, her mouth all the way open and light snore could be heard. The light was shining brightly in through the bay window since Ashley forgot to draw the curtains before she went to bed. (( I can't sleep if I don't and my windows are a foot above my head, I'm 5'0)) It was about ten in the morning, and almost the time when Ashley normally got up. Though, cracking a viole eye open she groggily got up thirty minutes earlier. She definately had some work to do, and it would be the best job she's ever done.  
" Hm, I wonder what I should do." she mused to herself as she went to her armour and pulled out a little summer dress. The dress was pale blue with little white flowers in the fabric. The top was tight and ribbed with two ties to make spagetti straps at her shoudlers. The dress ended at mid-thigh and came with matching bootie shorts. (( ya know the kind shirley temple wore under her little dresses)) She grabbed her brush and just ran it through her hair once and left it down. Grabbing a pair of sandals she bought in Austuria, they were pale blue to match her dress, the sandals were like old day Roman sandals, the flat leather soles were dyed dark blue with silk baby blue ribbons crisscrossing over her feet and up her legs tieing at mid-calf. Satisfied with her litte ansamble she threw open her bedroom door with her gameboy and went started skipping down the hallway towards the mess hall.  
" Maybe I'll....no no too easy to spot." She mumbled to herself as she began to click furiously at her gameboys grey buttons. Ignoring the bewildered looks at her outfit she made her way towards the boys table.   
Standing before them she smiled as her gameboy signaled she had beaten the level. Then turning it off she proceeded to sit down and watch, studying everyone like she normally does.  
" So, what's up Ashley?" Chesta asked casually. He was the only one not exactly afraid of her, she was their freind. Yes they could be mean to each other and unmerciful in a prank but she was innocent and kind and would think about the actions before doing them. So he had nothing to fear, right?  
" Nothing, woke up, got dressed, was stared at the whole way here, played my game boy, annoyed you guys. Not too much, so what's up with you guys?" Ashley's answer was fast but didn't go unnoticed by some people.  
" We're just sitting here, eating." Dilandau answered for the first time the group had ever started talking. He on the other hand was not the least bit afraid or anxious to find out what she would do. What would happen would happen, though he doubted if she would do anything to them.  
Ashley smiled at them and her violet eyes were lighter than before, they even twinkled, though to anyone close to her this meant they were in for the ride of their lives. Still smiling she set her game boy down and nodded, then jumping up she literally skipped out of the mess hall doors. All boys sitting at the table watched her nervously, all wondering what she was up to, though still not anxious to find out.  
  
Ashley was laughing evilly to herself her entire treck to her brothers lab, she knew that he would, and could help her with this prank. She had already decided on which one she was going to do. It was a prank someone had played on the entire councelors group. Ashley loved the idea and decided to give the boys a taste of the Mystic Moon in all its glory. Yes, there were many, many nice things she could have taught them like hockey or something but she thought this was better. Or at least to her since she wasn't on the receiving end of the deal. Catching sight of her brothers large, double doored lab she skipped happily up to it and knocked three times. She waited three minutes before frowning and knocking again this time more demandingly.  
" Come in, Kurai." Was heard through the door, Ashley scrunched up her nose, her brother knew she hated to be called that. Yes, Kurai Murasaki de Fanel was her given name, but she grew up most of her life with Ashley and she wasn't about to change. Besides, his name was really Folken Laquor de Fanel but he now demands she call him Folken Strategos of Zaibach. Calming her nerves and setting her face into a blank expression she pushed the heavy oak doors open and let them swish closed behind her as she entered.  
The room was large, dark, a very metallic like, her brother stood by a low metallic operating table like thing. He was hunched over peering into the eye of a microscope, most likely trying to mess with mother nature. His black cloak was off and he was wearing his pale blue tank top, his mecanical arm supporting him up while he wrote down something on a pad off paper. Now was the only time she actually noticed his hair came to hise shoulders, weird hair cut if you asked her, she'd rather him cut it or grow it out so it was all the same length at his shoulders. Sighing Ashley walked casually over to a stool that was seated opposite of her brother on the other side of the metallic table. The room was cold and sent shivers up her spine every so often, her normally pale skin now had an edge of pink, apparently he had to keep the room cold cause of most of his experiments.  
Sitting down at the stool Ashley folded her arms on her table, almost afraid they'd get frozen there. Leaning her chin down she rested it on the tops of her forearms and looked at the slide he was looking at. The slide was bright red against the light, indicating that it was a blood sample, frowning Ashley looked up at her brother who was once again looking inside the eye peice of the microscope, every so often tuning the Fine and Course adjustment knobs to get a better veiw of the blood sample. After studying him for about fifteen minutes Ashley thought it safe to ask him her questions, all the while trying to sound cute, innocent, and polite.  
" Hey um niisan, are you really, really, really, extremely busy right now?" She asked him while idly twirling a peice of hair between her fingers. Her looked away from the eye peice to study her a moment before smirking, she wasn't fooling him.   
" Yes, I am really, really, really, extremely busy right now, why ever do you ask koneko?" Folken said extremely sweetly. Frowning as she watched him go back to his work she decided to go around about it in a way.  
" Oh, what are you working on?" She asked him, he didn't look up but he did answer.  
" Looking at some blood samples of everyone on board the Vione, well besides you, because there is a weird cold going around and I'm trying to find a cure." He explained, Ashley nodded her head slowly as if she understood, though in truth she didn't understand anything. " Why do you ask komoko otome?" He smirked as she frowned, even though he hadn't looked away didn't mean he couldn't see her face.  
" Well, I was kinda wondering if you could help me." She said in a small voice, blinking he rose one of his pale blue eye brows and looked away from his samples to look at her fully.  
" what kind of help?"  
" I just need some sort of a liquid that will make anyone who drinks it shit themselves, and I mean really, really, really bad." Folken blinked and then began to chuckle ever so slightly until it became an all out laugh. Ashley blinked but shrugged it off, he stopped about two seconds later and nodded his head.  
" Yes, I'll have it done for you before dinner time." Folken said, Ashley squeeled and jumped off from her seat, then she literally threw herself at him. Hugging his tightly she buried her face into his stomach and stayed there. Folken smiled gently down upon his little sister and held her close to him, stroking her hair affectionately. "Now, run along, I must get some work done before I make your little chemical." He said backing away from her, Ashley nodded smiling widely before running out of the door.   
' I wonder what she'll be doing with it..' he said to himself as he bent over his blood samples once again attempting to get some work done.  
  
Ashley didn't stop running until she made her way to a part of the Vione she didn't recognize. Frowning she looked around and noticed there was a set of large black doors, shrugging her shoulders she decided to check out the rooom. Pushing them open slightly she walked slowly inside, shivering slightly at how cold it was she noticed that it was a throne room of some sort. In the middle of the room was a large black chair with red velvet cushioning. It was set up on two steps, the entire room was a black void, with only a lone lamp hanging up above the black and red chair. A black end table sat next to it with a clear glass bottle, and a dagger on top. The glass bottle was only filled half way.   
Walking slowly towards the throne she felt the room get colder and visibly shuddered this time. It was spooky, even for her, and extremely cold, walking up to the throne she walked around it and put her hands on it running them along the upholstery. Coming to the front she stood there staring ahead of her, there was a lone window behind the chair, with a thick black curtain, only a thin stream of light dared to penetrate the darkness. She felt that she wasn't alone, and that who ever was in here was very close, she could almost hear them breathing. Her body stiffened as she saw a shadow cast itself over her and the chair, she was about to turned around when someone leaned their head down onto her shoulder and whispered into her right ear.  
" What are you doing in my throne room?" the voice whispered, it was cold, monotoned, yet slightly amused. Slightly startled Ashley turned around only to fall into the chair, sitting down.  
Then when she spotted who was standing before her she scowled, it was Dilandau, he had been the one who scared her. He had been doing a lot of that hadn't he? " Well, answer the question?" He smiled down at the rapidly blinking girl, his smile turned into a wolfish grin as he rest his hands on either sides of the chair on the arm rests.   
As he leaned forward towards her Ashley scooted back until she was practically trying to become one with the chair. He was literally scaring her, she didn't know if he was drunk, psycotic, or just both. Swallowing a lump forming in her throat she stared into his fiery crimson eyes and knew he wasn't drunk, just...crazy. Blinking she bit her lip and watched as he moved his left hand from the arm rest of the chair to her thigh, which was now and totally bare from her dress riding up.  
" I-I was just.... um...just walking through.. and found this door... and decided to...um... explore the room..." She answered, slightly stuttering as she went, he smirked wickedly and leaned in so that their faces were merely only inches apart.  
" Well, you shouldn't exaclty be in here. See, little girls who go unattended can get into some pretty nasty situations, such as the beginnings of this one." He spoke these words to her in a dangerously low voice, Ashley bit her bottom lip once again to keep it from trembling, she was actually scared shitless, and apparently this was driving him to keep going.  
As they continued to stare at each other Ashley frowned and spoke to him in a whisper.  
" You're crazy." He threw his head back and laughed, then brought it back down to look into her darkening violet eyes.  
" Am I really?" He asked, Ashley just blinked, then realizing how uncomfortable this was, since because of their last kiss she pushed him away. He stumbled back and laughed as she jumped off the stairs and ran towards the doors, pulling them open she looked back at his still laughing form and then dashed out the door.  
She continued to run until she made it to the rooms of hers and the dragonslayers. Slowling down she leaned against a wall and shivered, she felt cold,scared, worried, and uncertain. Sighing a big heaving puff of breath she pushed herself off the wall with her shoudlers and headed into her room. Not bothering to shut the door she began to make her messy bed and grabbed a deck of cards out of her duffel bag. Sitting back down on the floor she took her shoes off and crossed her legs. Setting up the cards for a game of solitaire, a game she couldn't beat even if her life depended on it. Turning on her mini stereo she switched discs and Pink's ' Don't let it get to me.' filtered through the speakers and into her ears. All she had to do no was wait for her brother to give her his newest concoction, find some type of other worldly saryan wrap, and her camera, then she was all set. But, in the mean time she was going to sit in her room, listen to music, and trying to get the thought of the previous actions Dilandau took out of his concious.  
  
  
Van and Allen were standing alone on the crusade, it was daylight and they were just enjoying the veiw of the green trees below the slowly floating Crusade. Neither of them really liked each other, they were just another obastacle to saving Gaea, winning Hitomi's heart, and other such things. Silence, silence was the only thing they did agree on however, even though it was such a small simple thing they never really got a chance to grasp it. Sometimes they got a minute or two of the silent feeling, though it was always disturbed by either Merle, Hitomi, or one of the crew. But, right now, at this very window no one knew they were there, and no one could find them.  
' I wonder who that girl was...' Van trailed off his thoughts as he shifted her weight from his left foot to the right. He glanced at Allen with his crimson eyes and sighed, Allen was everything Hitomi saw in a guy, he had no chance to compete. ' But, that's what makes it more fun.' he said to himself, an image of Hitomi in that dress Millerna let Hitomi borrow flashed through his mind. He smiled outwardly though it soon turned into a scowl when Allen began to speak.  
" I think we should kidnap that girl, Ashley I beleive her name was." Allen said, his voice was low and hushed, he must've not have wanted to be disturbed.  
" No, that would be too much for her, I mean think about it, she died then mysteriously came back. " Van said, his twin black eyebrows furrowed together slightly as he chewed on his bottom lip thinking.  
" Well, I only said that was because she isn't from here, you heard what Hitomi said she saw. That girl is from the Mystic Moon as well, and since Zaibach took her away from her home she must possess some sort of power similar to Hitomi's. If they have that to use for their every whim this planet is doomed, as well as Hitomi's." Van thought about this before coming to a conclusion.  
" Yes, I beleive it is the only way also, but, how do you suppose we get to her?" Allen smirked his I'm-smarter-than-you smirk and turned back to the large window.  
" You'll have to let them capture you, see we already know that their flight path is headed towards Freid, well if we get close enough to them they're bound to send someone after you. Plus, Dilandau can't stand you for some reason, so why not a better time. Well, once you get captured you win your way through the girls heart, convince her to come with you and when we come to save you, she'll come to. " Allen explained, Van rolled this through his brain racking the idea for any loops or pulleys that were broken.  
" What if she doesn't agree?" Was his whispered reply as someone walked past the door.  
" Then, we force her." Allen replied, it was blunt, to the point and extremely short, Van nodded and fell back into his thoughts. The girl looked stangely familiar to him, but he couldn't place it.  
  
Ashley had tried to play solitary six times in the last two hours, she was now on her seventh game and beginning to get very, very, very bored. She was laying on her stomach with a pillow under her chest as she contemplated which card she would pick next. She forgot to shut her door, though didn't mind, it's not like she had anything to hide from anyone. Though everytime someone walked past her door they would stop for a moment and shake their head slowly and start up again. She was oblivious though, she didn't care what others thought, or atleast that's what it seemed. She actually did care, and any critizism someone made about her, jokingly or not she took seriously. Like, one time someone was joking about her hair style of two twin heart shaped ondagos, she was trying to imitate Sailor Moon, so she went home and hade her mother cut it to her shoudlers and she wore it in a ponytail. Then they made a big deal about her cutting her hair so she grew it back. It took a long time and she hasn't cut it since, this was in fourth grade.  
Rolling onto her right side she positioned the pillow under her head and curled up, heaving a large sigh she closed her dark violet orbs and fastly went to sleep. She wasn't aware however of the black garbed man standing in her doorwar casting a mean stare down upon her small form. He hurriedly walked away towards her brothers lab, Ashley didn't know it now, but this man would be her worst enemy of all time.  
  
Dilandau didn't understand what was wrong with him, he was doing strange things he thought he couldn't even be possessed into doing. And for what? A small meaningless girl, who would be better off on a street corner asking guys if they wanted a good time. He was sitting on his black and red throne, the same throne he had forced Ashley into and sighed. His bored facade was working as he watched his loyal slayers lounge around the room talking aimlessly in hushed whispers amongst each other. Yes, he loved them, they were his only true family, the only people he ever knew that would literally die for him. He rested his head in his hands and stared down at his lap, it was boring, they wouldn't be reaching Freid for another day or maybe more at the pace the Vione was going.  
He sighed bored, he being bored was not good for any healthy person, because after a while they wouldn't be so healthy anymore. He chuckled to himself at his stupid thoughts, and sentences that made no sense. But, the one thing he couldn't keep out of his mind was his longing, his wanting for that damned girl!!  
' How can one girl do so much to me?' he asked himself, but he wasn't expecting it to answer back.  
' Because you love her.' the eerie female voice whispered out of no where. Dilandau growled loudly causing all commotion in his throne room to stop. He glared at no one in particular which caused every slayer to leave the room.  
' No I don't!! She's just another toy for me to play with.' Dilandau argued, though he knew in the back of his distraught mind that he was battling a lost battle. Growling low in his throat he picked up the bottle of Vino off the end table and greedily downed it, he'd do anything to get this bitch out of his head.  
  
Ashley was curled into a small ball with the pillow hugged to her chest, mashed between her legs, chest, arms, and some of her head. The cards she had been playing with were scattered everywhere from when she was sleeping. It was an hour into dinner and most of everyone would be retiring now. Her brother, Folken, walked past her room with the vile of chemicals she had asked for. He glanced towards the oddly opened door and stopped when he saw a large purple lump in the middle of her floor. Blinking he smiled at what he saw, his sister was so cute when she was asleep. Sure, she would never be able to see this, but it was adorable he could watch her all day it was his only way of knowing she was safe int he barracades of her mind, and his ever protective watch. Sighing he knew she'd be pissed off at him if he didn't wake her up, so reluctantly he walked into the room and nudged her side with the tip of his black boots. She stirred, moaned, and flopped over onto her other side, blinking he nudged her again but harder and only succeeded in being swatted and told ' mom, five more minutes please, and a slightly incoherent ' I still wanna ride the tissue box..' before she ceased all motion. Blinking a couple of times he nudged her yet again except more demandingly, her eyes flew open as she stared at him a minute, then blinking her eyes a couple of times, just like he had done only minutes ago, she squinted and said in a groggy voice.  
" What?!?" Ashley stood up slowly and began to stretch her arms out and she winced when she heard her back crack.  
" Here's your concoction you had me make for you." Folken spoke while holding the large beaker, eye dropper, with this weird smoking neon green liquid, or more like goo.  
Ashley rose one delicate eyebrow and gagged, it really stunk it was like a mixture of cooking eggplant and rotten eggs ten folds. Shuddering and squeeking a slow 'eeww' she took it into both of her hands though kept her face to the side.  
" Thankz, I think." She said and scrunched her nose up, this was unbearable.  
" Alright all you do is slip it into their Vino tonight." Ashley frowned and looked up at him ignoring the gross smell emitting from the beaker.  
" How the hell do I do that?!?" Ashley exclaimed, Folken only laughed in return, Ashley glared which made him stop.  
" You'll figure something out." Folken then turned on his black booted heels and left, Ashley reavverted her violet hues to the mess in front of her, if she didn't get it out of her room it'll start smelling like it all the time.   
Growling Ashley walked out of her room and towards the kitchen, it was maybe about an hour or so past dinner. So that meant, if she slipped the chemical into the bottle of Vino, some how got into their rooms, covered the inside of the tiolet with something, and then gave the vino to the boys in question she'd be set. The only question so far is, would they drink it?  
It didn't take her very long to get to the kitchen, walking through the large doors she was met by the smiling face of one of the cooks. He looked down on her with his steely blue eyes and his smile seemingly windened. Ashley new this man, he was one of her brother's freinds, or sort of.  
" What can I getcha m'lady?" He asked her in a gruff, yet soft voice.  
" Uh, two bottles of highly achoholic vino please." Ashley spoke in a soft, innocent voice which caused the chef to blink. After all what would a young, innocent, and well brought up girl like herself want or need with a highly alchoholic bottle of vino.  
" And may I ask what you plan to do with this?" The chef asked warily.  
" It's for Dilandau and his Dragon Slayers." Was her short reply, a visible amount of releif washed over the chef as he nodded his head rapidly and went to a cabinet. Pulling on one of the oak doors he reached inside and pulled out the two bottles in question. Ashley smiled as she thanked him, turning around she grinned evilly and her eyes held a wicked gleam to them. Walking fastly to her room she went inside and shut the door. Setting the two bottles on the bedside table she opened the corks. Picking up the large beaker, while plugging her nose, she poured half it's contents into one bottle and the other half in the other one.   
Looking around her room she found a bottle of fingernail polish remover and started to hammer the corks back in as if to not seem suspicious. Then picking them up she began to shake them up, watching as the neon green liquid seemed to blend in nicely with the pigment of the red vino. Softly cackling evilly, she still didn't want someone to find her out, she took the two bottles to her door and thought a moment.  
' Maybe I can put a ten hour block on the inside of the toilet, like putting saryan wrap, only you wont see a gleam when the light hits it.' Smiling broadly she opened her door and walked out, slowly closing the door.   
Checking each room, by putting her ear up to it, she soon found out where the boys were. Taking a deep breathe and putting on a sweet face she knocked three times on the door. All sound seemed to stop as someone opened the door a little bit, then a little bit more. In the doorway stood Gatti in his boxers. Blinking Ashley's violet eyes widened though she didn't take her eyes off of Gatti's face, because if she looked down, she'd be looking at something she really didn't want to be looking at. Smiling shakily she held out the twin bottles of vino.  
" Hey ya, I wanted to come over and share some vino with ya'll." She spoke, her voice never wavering or giving any hint to suspicion. Gatti smiled and stepped aside after taking the two bottles into his large hands.   
Ashley immdiatly almost regretted walking through the door, almost half the dragonslayers were.... naked. Blinking rapidly before squinting her eyes tightly shut she turned around and blindly ran into Gatti's bathroom. She heard some shouts from her freinds and almost laughed. Slamming the door shut she turned to the toilet and grinned. ' Too easy.' she said to herself as she knelt down in front of the toilet. She was actually surprised the toilet was this clean, but then again she had heard how Dilandau loved a clean area so each dragonslayer tried to be the cleanest.  
Checking the door again she turned back to the task at hand, holding her own hand up she whispered some incoherent words and her forefinger began to glow a light shade of lavender. Hovering it over the inside of the toilet bowls edge she watched as a seemingly purple glow emitted a sheild before totally dissappearing but she could tell it was there.   
Ashley was about to pat herself on the back when there was a knock on the door, Ashley thought about earlier and blushed. It wasn't really the first time she'd seen a person naked, I mean they do have sex ed in schools, but these were her buddies.  
" Ashley, are you ok?" Ashley heard Chesta's worried voice float through the doorway, a slight pang of guilt ran through her heart but quickly vanished.  
" Yeah, I'm fine." She called out, opening the door she was glad to see they were at least wearing pants. " Strip Poker, god Gatti you ass." Ashley mumbled and smacked him lightly on the arm. " Could have warned or told me." She added before smacking him again.  
" Sorry" was his sheepish reply.  
" Well I'm gonna go now..." Ashley trailed off as she turned on her heels and went to open the door only to have it slam into her face. She stumbled back holding her nose, her eyes were watery but she was trying not to cry. Pulling her hand back it was covered in blood. Blinking, Ashley's vision became blurry at the sight, there were few things she was afraid of and one of those few was blood. Looking up at the one who barged into Gatti's room she saw none other than Dilandau himself. Glaring slightly Ashley fell back, she had fainted.  
  
  
  
Once again everyone was in the medical bay; eveyone consisting of Dilandau, Chesta, Folken, Ryou, Gatti, Guimel, Dalet,Viole, and Migel; Ashley was laying, once again, on the white hospital bed. Her nose was patched up and was stained with blood, she just sat there glaring daggers at Dilandau, whom didn't seem to care.  
" Why the fuck didn't you knock!!" She finally exclaimed, everyone seemed to jump at the sudden outburst.  
" I don't need to knock." Was his only reply.  
" Er, you soooooo deserve the prank your getting." She mumbled before hopping off the bed. The doctor came back into the room and smiled at Ashley.  
" Well, the nose isn't broken, just bleeding, now take off the bandage and let us see if it has stopped bleeding." The doctor insturcted her, Ashley happily took it off and was relieved to see it had stopped bleeding. Grinning Ashley looked around the room, finally spotting the bathroom she ran inside, not caring who thought her odd. Closing the door and locking it she sat ont eh toilet seat and closed her eyes in concentration.  
Clasping her hands together she furrowed her eyebrows together, her hands emmited a purple glow, shooting out of the top of the bathroom ceiling the glow was gone.  
Though, in each other remaining victoms rooms the purple light appeared, putting a protective barrier in the inside of the toilet bowl just at the top edge. Smiling to herself she flushed the toilet and began washing her hands, she had to make it seem like she was using the bathroom. drying her hands off she unlocked the door and opened it, everyone was gone besides Folken and Dilandau.   
It seemed as if they were in a heated arguement until she interrupted them, Folken glanced at her before leaving. Ashley frowned and watched Dilandau space out for a moment before turning his attention to her. He glared at her before turning on his heel and going out of the door, only to stop and turned sideways to glance at her.  
" If it means anything to you, I'm sorry for almost breaking your nose, and you're right I should knock." He almost whispered, Ashley's eyes softened as she nodded her head. She still didn't like being alone with him, he was like a pregnant woman, he could be the most crazy, evillest bitch around one minute, then the next he's as sweet as a new born kitten.  
" I forgive you." Ashley whispered, he nodded slowly and started walking out the door again. Smiling to herself she was happy, she was finally getting through to him, and her plan was underway.  
Skipping happily out the med bay doors she made it to the middle of her hallway when loud screams erupted from almost every room in the hallway. Then out came some very naked, very pissed, and very uncomfortable dragonslayers. Ashley tried to keep a straight face only to result in laughing so hard she fell on her ass. After much glaring on the dragonslayers parts they ended up having to run to the shower room and finishing there. Ashley was still in the middle of the hallway floor laughing her ass off. What got her going was the horrified looks on everyone's faces, the screams they made as they became scared, and how mad they were. Though when she finally recollected herself she leaned up against the wall of the hallway and waited for them to come out.  
Though, when they did they weren't very happy, Chesta was near crying, Dilandau was thinking about burning her, Gatti and Dalet were talking about hanging her by her hair, Guimel was gonna Crima Claw her, and Migel was thinking about making her clean his bathroom up.  
" Why the hell did you do that?!?" Dilandau yelled, Ashley almost started laughing again but the looks on their faces was so serious, so mad, so...pained.  
" Oi, if I knew it was this horrible I wouldn't have done it." Ashley said and bit her bottom lip. " Cuz, on Earth people do this all the time." She continued, she saw Chesta lighten up a bit. Then he started to laugh, it was a weak laugh but a laugh none the less, then gradually it became louder as more of the guys joined in. The only one not laughing was Dilandau." I thought you were mad?" Ashley asked puzzled.  
" We were, but if you think about the situation and what measures you took it's hilarious." Dalet explain as the other guys joined in with ' huh's and yeahs'. Ashley grinned and jumped up from her spot on the floor.  
" Well, I'm go'in to be." Ashley said, hugging each of them, even Dilandau no matter how sick he is or even if he didn't hug back, she skipped to her door. " Goodnight everyone, luv ya!!" Opening the door she hopped inside and shut it, then a faint click of the lock could be heard.Shaking their heads everyone left to clean their bathrooms, and to think they had a mission that night.  
  
Note: Wow, longer than I thought, I actually had to finish it on Notepad since AOL wont open files that are over 30 kb's. Weird huh? Anyhoo, how ya liked it, I know I did, and just to let everyone know, I still have the damned cold but it's not as bad, I was actually in the hospital. But, the nice nurses let me have a laptop once a week. Anyhoo, I'll try to get he seventh chapter up soon, k..bai!!  
~Koori~ 


	7. What Dragon?

Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne, though if I did it would still be on fox, but I do own the character Ashley, she ish my baby.  
  
Haned Megami se Tenshinranman soshite Kyuui  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
  
It was about midday before Ashley woke up, which was weird because normally if she missed breakfast the guys came to see if she was ok. Though she didn't mind, she really didn't get to sleep last night, she was really upset that they were mad at her. She could actually care less about Dilandau, even though she actually did, but it worried her that someone could actually be mad at her.  
She was laying on her bed, the covers scrunched at the foot of her bed, her arms under her head, one leg bent upward, while the other one rested on top of it. She just looked like she was staring at the ceiling, but in truth she wasn't really looking at it, she was just staring off into space not really seeing anything. She kept playing over how mad their faces looked, and how they tried to fake happiness just to make her happy. Maybe that prank was roo much for them, after all some things from Earth aren't common on Gaea, and it could cause trouble.   
Sighing she rolled over onto her right side staring at her pale blue painted walls. This was upseting, and even though they assured her they were fine, she was here dwelling on it.  
' Ya know what, I should make it up to them.' Ashley thought to herself as she rolled off her bed, her feet softly padding on the carpeted floor to her armour. Picking out a pair of black leggings, her knee high black boots, a pure white spagetti strap tank top, and a long sleeve, buttoned up, see through top, she threw the outfit on, including bra and underwear for those of you who are picky.   
Brushing her hair out she took out a silver hair clip and pulled the top peices of her hair back and clipped it. Letting her heart-shaped bangs once again fall into and around her eyes. Yawning slightly she checked herself out in the mirror and went to her bedroom door, unlocking it and putting the key in her shirt pocket, which was buttoned up, she opened the door and went out, quietly shutting it behind her. Walking over to Viole's room she knocked on the door, she waited for about ten seconds....thirty seconds ....two minutes before knocking again. Blinking, she knew he wasn't there.  
" Must be in the training room." Ashley mumbled to herself and skipped to the training room. Walking into the opened room she found it empty, frowning she began to think. " The throne room!!" She exclaimed before blinking, ' what could possibly happen?' Ashley told herself as she slowly made her treck to the throne room.   
  
Finally making it there she sighed, pausing outside the large black doors she pushed it open just enough to slip her small body through. Once inside she was met with a wave of releif, everyone was in here, Dilandau on his chair idly watching his dragon slayers all the while talking to her brother Folken. Running to a large, and I mean large black metal pillar she hid behind it and strained her ears to hear what they were saying.  
  
" Folken, what do you plan to do with the dragon?" Dilandau asked annoyingly.  
" I plan to do nothing, it is Lord Dornkirk who wishes for his presence." Folken answered, Ashley blinked, who the hell was the dragon, did that mean they kidnapped a dragon? For it's power? Energist? labor? What could they possibly want with a dragon.   
Blinking Ashley boredly tuned out their chat and walked out the room, not caring who saw her. She wanted to find the dragon, she wanted to free it actually. Nothing should be caged up like some wild animal, yes it is a wild animal but what's the purpose of being wild if you can't run free?   
" Ok, if I were a dragon, kept prisoner, and needed by dornkirk where would I be?" Ashley thought to herself, putting her forefinger on her rosebud lips an idea struck her.   
"The dungeons, duh but the dungeons here are regular rooms..." She trailed off. She spotted a dragonslayer coming out of the room. She didn't even notice she had begun to walk away from the doorway.  
" Hey, you!! come here." She called out, she dragonslayer nodded and headed over to her.  
" Yes?" her asked, Ashley smiled sweetly and played with a lock of her violet hair.  
" Can you please take me to where the dragon is?" Ashley asked innocently, the dragon slayer nodded and Ashley squeeled. The boy began to walk down the hallway with Ashley close behind, trying to remember how to get in and out.  
  
Ashley really didn't have to walk very far, the dragon's cell was in between hers and her brothers lab. Which, made her wonder, why put a wild, rabid, large, animal in a small room.  
' Maybe it's a baby!!' she squeeled at the thought and waited for the dragon slayer who brought her there to leave.  
Counting to ten after her 'escortee' left she turned the doorknob very slowly, cracking the door open she slipped inside and hurriedly shut the door. Turning around she couldn't exactly see, but she could make out lumps of the objects in the room. Walking slowly across the room, her hands out in front of her, she came across the bedside table. Feelings around the top of it she found the lamp with a couple of matches underneath. Striking a match she watched as the glowing fire started to grow as she placed it against the wick of the oil lamp. Once it had caught fire she placed the glass over it and looked around the room.Blinking she was only met by a confused guy with jet black hair, crimson colored eyes like her brothers, he was short, though taller than her.   
" Man, and I thought there was a dragon in here." Ashley mumbled and snapped her fingers in a dissappointed way. Though perking up at someone new, though she did recognize him from somewhere. " Soooo, who are you?!?" She exclaimed, more like cried as she hopped up on the bed next to him. She was sitting there with her legs indian style just staring at his blank but unnerved face.   
"Why are you here?" Came the boys cold reply. Ashley did a double take and finally recognized the voice.  
' This is that guy who was with Hairspray man and that girl Hitomi.' Ashley smiled which made him look at her funny.  
" I am here, actually because I over heard my brother talking about some dragon, but when I asked someone to take me to it they led me here..." She trailed off as she began to think.  
" You mean, you don't know?" The boy asked her.  
" Know what?" Came her confused reply, it was semi-dark in the room, it didn't have any windows in it, and no over head flouresant lights.  
" Nothing, so what is your name?"  
" Oh, sorry my name is Ashley!! What's yours?"  
" My name is Van Fanel King of Fanelia." Van stated his name proudly, Ashley blinked and did a double take for the second time.  
" You mean, you're Van Fanel....but..you don't look like him...or me. Well your eyes match his but..that is soooo weird." Ashley said more to herself than anything else.  
" What do you mean?!?" Van demanded a little confused by what she was saying.  
" Folken didn't tell you?" Ashley glared as Van answered with a 'no'. " That krod, anyways I guess I get to explain to you."  
" Explain what?!?" Van asked, he was getting really confused.  
" Van, my birth name is Kurai Murasaki de Fanel."  
  
It had been fifteen minutes and still no sign of Ashley, no one had seen her. This began to worry Folken. What if she was with Van? No, that couldn't be a possibility, someone would have had to of told her about Van being here. But, who? Everyone was calling him 'the dragon'. She couldn't possibly have known anything, besides where could she haave heard it from, everyone was with him. Except for.. he sent that dragonslayer out to fetch some parchment for him.  
" Shit." was Folkens only statement as he rose from the maroon couch he was sitting on.  
  
" That's not true!" Van yelled at her, the girl blinked before scrunching up her nose. Somehow he remembered that from somewhere.  
" Well, then explain to me this brother, why would Folken tell me other wise, it was proven by blood test." Ashley retaliated, after wards she stuck out her tongue to him.  
' Good, this will make my job easier, if she really is my sister, and what Hitomi says she can't stand to see people in trouble.' Van thought as he starred into the innocent violet eyes that were darker than usual, since the darkness of the room has caused her pupils to dialated wider.  
"Well how do you know he wasn't lieing to you?" Van inquired, Ashley rested her right elbow on her right knee and held her head up in the palm of her hand. She reavverted her gaze as she thought about this.  
" How do I know you aren't lieing to me? The same way I know he isn't lieing to me, it's like a sixth sense I have." Ashley said, it was soft, calm, and made him feel bad for half way deceiving her.  
" Well, then the only way that we would really know if you are my sister is if you have wings or not." Van said, Ashley perked up and blinked.  
" Wings?" That one word was spoken the same time the door of the room burst open, in the light of the doorway stood Dilandau. Ashley smiled as Van glared, Dilandau glared and smiled, though his smile was wicked, not innocent like Ashley's.  
" Well, well, well, if this isn't a touching sight." Dilandau stated, his voice sent shivers down Ashley's spine, she didn't really like it but learned to live with it.  
" Yeah, yeah, yeah, you aren't exactly something made by Michael Angelo either." Ashley retorted, Dilandau shook his head confusedly before turning his attention to Van.  
" Aw, finally get to meet your sister, it's a shame though."   
" What's a shame?" Van asked him, his voice was cold, not like before, colder.  
" That the reunion wont be for long." Dilandau said, he advanced near them but another shadow loomed in the doorway.  
" Dilandau, stop." Folkens deep voice boomed throughout the room, echoeing off the steel walls and penetrating Ashley's whole being. Dilandau's eyes turned to slits as he huffed and walked out the room. Folken turned and watched him walk down the hallway with that little sashe like he normally does before walking into the room and shutting the door behind him. Turning to his two siblings, one glaring like there was no tomorrow and the other smiling at him like nothing bad could possibly happen.  
" Ashley, I wish you have come to me first so that I could personally escort you here." Folken spoke to her like a five year old child.  
" Hey, I"m fourteen, not five. I can walk to a room that's like right next door to mine if I wanted to. Not like it'll somehow kill me." Ashley huffed, crossed her arms angrily and glared at her older brother.  
" So, your one year younger than me?" Van asked.  
" Well actually, nine months younger than you but still I was born the next year, January thirty-first." Ashley stated proudly.  
" Oh." Was Van's uninterested reply.  
" Ashley, I'm sure Van is very hungry, could you please go down to the mess hall and ask one of the cooks and prepare a plate for Van." Folken asked, his crimson eyes boring into Van's own, totally mirroring him. Ashley rolled her own violet orbs and hopped off the bed. Walking to the door she opened it, stepped out, and began to make her trek to the mess hall totally unware of the silver haired presence behind her.  
  
Ashley got the food from the chef, whom was really happy to give it to her, for some reason he seemed afraid. Shrugging the thought out of her head she head back to her newly other found brothers room. Laughing slightly at the weird things that had been going on sice she had come here. First, she's on a flying ship, then she's on a world with two moons one of which is Earth. She ends up dieing the first night there, she's been kissed more times than her freind Cara in a two day period. She now has two brothers, both of whom are fighting for two different sides in a war she has no idea about. Shaking her head she lit her face up like a one thousand watt light bulb as she opened Van's door.   
" Sorry Ashley, but Van fell asleep." Folken said as Ashley reavvereted her violet eyes to the limp form on the bed.  
" Oh, what did you try to tell him jokes or something?" Ashley joked, Folken rolled his eyes as he shook his head and walked passed her out the room. Ashley shrugged as she set the food on the nightstand next to his bed.  
Walking back out the room, she felt and eerie presence following her, she didn't like it but it felt familiar. Shrugging to went into her room and felt complused to fall asleep. Laying down on her unmade bed she quickly fell asleep, though she was totally unware that this was actually a vision she was going into.  
  
~Vision~  
  
Ashley saw herself run into Van's bedroom to see him already up and readying himself for something. She saw herself looking worriedly at her older brother, though leading him down a hallway. She stopped abruptly with Van by her side as she was on the edges of a large battle. Dragonslayer after Dragonslayer being cut down to size by Allen's crew, Van's crew.   
The vision shifted leaving her to float around in darkness, then it flared to life, she was standing with Van. Allen had her arms behind her back, she tried to kick away with all her might. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Dilandau but thought nothing of it. Until she saw Hitomi scream something, but she couldn't hear any words. Dilanda charged Van from behind, he turned around just in time to slash Dilandau's cheek. Ashley felt herself scream in horror and in pain. She felt like it had happened to herself, though it didn't. She began to struggle again, only to have someone knock her out from behind  
~End Vision~  
  
Ashley woke up abruptly, she was sweating profusely and crying hysterically, but why? The dream was so real, so...painful, so much blood, so much fighting it hurt her. Why was this happening? Why did she dream that Van, Allen, and Hitomi had kidnapped her? Should she be wary of her own brother? Whom could she trust? These were only little examples of what was actually running through her head.  
Frowning slightly Ashley got up from her bed and walked out of her room, having freaking visions did make a person hungry, and it was lunch time. Smiling to herself she began to skip down the hallway to the mess hall.  
  
Once there it was utterly weird, no one was there, frowning slightly she went to turn around when the Vione shook hard to the right making her fall on her face. Getting back up she ran to the main door and looked around, straining her ears she heard the faint sounds of swords clashing. An image flashed through her mind of her earlier vision, and knew it was all true.  
Breathing heavily in recognition, Ashley took off into a dead run down the hallway. Sliding on the cold, metallic floor she stopped in front of her brother's 'cell' door. Her stomach was doing flips as she unlocked the door and ran inside. There her brother was try to untie his binds, blinking Ashley pushed all memory of the vision in te farthest depths of her mind and shut the door. Walking over to his bed she sat down and without a word began to untie his binds. He looked at her as she did this with confusion. As if sensing this Ashley looked up and answered the awaiting answer.  
" There is a battle not to far from here, I can't let something happen to you." Ashley exlpained, Van nodded his face solemn, but inside he was screaming 'yes, yes, she bought it.' over and over again.  
When she was finished the two siblings ran down the hallway, Van leading her. They stopped in the melef bay, Ashley had her hands on her face in horror. Everything that happened in her dream was happening now, everything. Ashley's violet eyes widened as she realized something she didn't know. She could predict the future, so that meant that everything she saw with her mother, was going to come true.  
" NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" was the only thing Ashley could make out, she was horrified, she could see everyone's deaths, everyones injuries. She didn't even, couldn't even warn them, her hands and body becam spastic. Trying to grasp onto something she clasped her head in her hands and yelled once again.  
" STOP THIS DAMN IT!!" Ashley's voice echoed through the utterly quiet melef bay, where only moments ago a battle had started. Ashley was now crying for some unknown reason. " Stop....please...no...my ...fault..all...my...fault..." Was all Ashley whispered to herself. Almost falling to her knees Van caught her and helped her to her feet. Suddenly she felt a tight grip on ehr wrists, pulling them tightly behind her. Her eyes were wider now as she thought about her dream.  
' Oh my god...' Ashley thought, she saw Chesta get red in the face as he ran towards her, but someone from Allen's crew got in front of him and they began to fight, which made everyone else start up again. Ashley; still crying; was being led like a dog to the edge of the melef bay where the floating ship, the Crusade, was sitting just outside. Ashley glanced to her left and immediatly saw Dilandau, a slight ounce of hope entered her features, which caused Hitomi, whom she didn't notice to look over to Dilandau. Dilandau had his sword raised and ready to strike the unsuspecting Van.   
" Van, look out!!" Hitomi cried, Ashley growled as Van ducked and glared at the jezabell Hitomi.  
From above them on a catwalk, Folken threw Van a sword and left, Van took the scene and sliced Dilandau's cheek. Ashley screamed in horror, Dilandau was so close to her that the blood from his cheek splashed onto hers. Ashley struggled, then rememebered Allen knocking her out, moving her head to the side so he couldn't, Ashley back kicked him square in the nuts.  
Allen squeeked a little and let her go before up chucking everything he ate for lunch. He was holding his private area as he glared up at the smiling Ashley who in turn glared at her. Though he began to smile, as she felt someone karate chop her at the base of her neck. Ashley tried not to let the darkness have its way, but soon she couldn't hold onto unconciosness much longer. Falling semi-lifelessly to the ground, she was caught by Van at the last minute, before she blacked out.  
  
Ashley groaned as she felt the bright rays of the sun hit her eyes, she heard a wooden chair creak as someone stood up, she felt the wall to her left so she rolled over onto that side, she was now facing the wall. The door creaked somewhere to the right and she heard two male voices, whom she didn't recognize. One, very mature yet young deep male voice told another one to " Get the boss, the girl's awake." Ashley snorted slightly as she heard him shut it, yet she could tell he was outside. Sitting up Ashley glanced around the room for some sort of a plan, if Van and Allen were coming she knew she'd be able to use some magic on Allen, but brute force, or her lack of, would ahve to be used on Van. Van was Draconian, which she found out from Folken, which made him immune to spells cast by the people of Earth. She didn't know any spells from Gaea, so she couldn't do anything to him, but a sheild around herself would work, or a bubble around him would too.  
A floor board outside her door snapped her to the current situation, jumping upa nd sprinting lightly across the room she stood behind where the door would open. Hoping they wouldn't open the door any wider than they had to she waited as they opened it and stepped it. Closing her eyes she whispered some words(( just to let you know, I am a wiccan, and witches don't need to know real spells they can make the words up on spur of the moments)) " Just because I'm a girl, Doesn't make anyone want to hurl, I only want to take flight, so get me the fuck out of here to night, I summon thee sword of great fire, to free me from such unwanted desire." She felt hte familiar leather hilt of a long sword, smiling to herself she watched until they ran all the way in and slammed the door shut. Swinging the sword up she caught the blonde Austurian knight by surprise she had her sword to his throat. His powdery blue eyes wavvered to her own peircing violet ones, which were glaring into those of Van's ruby ones.  
" Why the hell did you kidnap me?" Ashley calmly asked.  
" We needed you." Was Van's blank answer.  
" Needed me?!? I can't do didly squat for you, you got Hit on me, or whatever the fuck her name is." Ashley said this a little too uncalmly, glancing at the turning doorhandle she glared at it and watched as the door disappeared leaving a metallic wall of the ship. " Ok, now to get rid of Finesse boy." Ashley muttered, finally getting an idea she smiled.  
" Just because he'es pretty, doesn't mean he's very witty, so to this we do, without a clue. Put him a bubble!" Ashley hyperly said, and Allen was encased in a light violet glowing bubble, which was floating around in the air.Throwing the sword up in the air, Ashley stuck her hand out and the tip of the blade went into her hand, becoming her energy again.  
" Ok, now big brother, tell me why you've suddenly deceived me." Ashley said. She could hear people trying to get into the room, most wondering why the hell the door was gone. 


	8. Am I a bad person?

Disclaimers: I do not own Escaflowne, but I do own Ashley.  
  
Haned Megami se Tenshinranman soshite Kyuui  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
Van sighed and watched the uncertain fire burn in his sister's eyes; in truth he felt nothing as he knocked her unconcious, but now he felt utterly horrible. He didn't understand what compelled him to campture her, to let Allen win but her did it. He figured everything was done for a reason, though he wasn't so sure the reason was worth it. He truthfully beleived she was his sister. After Folken had injected the tranquilizer into his shoulder he had fallen asleep into a wonderful dream world of when he was a little. Folken was the best big brother, he was laying down with him in the forest when a small high pitched voice started calling out to them. It began to get louder, and Van felt Folken lift him up and set him back down. Van looked up to see Folken walking away towards the voice. Getting up himself he ran behind Folken and found his three year old little sister standing there.That was the end of his dream before he woke up from the Vione rocking violently. Knowing it was time he tried to get out of his binds when Ashley came in, and then the rest happened.  
Van sighed softly and ran a calloused hand through his coal black hair, his fiery ruby eyes became gently as he sat down on the bed Ashley had occupied for twelve hours.  
" Ashley, we kidnapped you because you were fighting for the wrong side." Van began, Ashley's eyes softened. Besides how could she be mad at someone whom she just found out was he brother anyways.  
" How do you know that they are the wrong side and you are the right side. What if neither of you are good or bad, what if you are both good sides and this is all happening for the good of all Gaea?" Ashley questioned, sitting beside him on the bed she touched his arm lightly. Immediatly regretting that action she tried to withdraw her hand only to be enveloped into another horrific vision.  
~Vision~  
Ashley was standing in the middle of a large battle, both sides equally matching each other. Though, there she was amongst it, dressed an odd dress. It was had a tight white bodice, with a square neck line; the sleeves were three quarter length and a little loose, or so it seemed. The dress went on to the ankles, though it had a large slit to the top of her hips on both sides. some weird Atlantean symbols were elaboratly drawn on the front, the drawings were drawn in dark violet with a pale lavender background. The cloth ot was drawn on was see through and held up by a thin black belt with a sheath which he sword occupied. Her long hair was left down to flow around her, black leather boots went up to mid-thigh, and she had huge black angel wings protruding from her back. A wooden staff was in her hand with a large black orb sitting above it glowing black energy. Ashley frowned as she watched the evil version of herself attack Hitomi whom was wearing a white version of Ashley's outfit, only the drawing was different and in a dark green on a light green background. Her staff was long, wooden and her glowing orb was pure white, pearly white angel wings protruded from her back. Her hair had grown to about her shoulders which made her look really pretty. But, for some reason they both looked different.   
Though, Van was there behind her, his hair was longer to his waist and had a hair tie at the base of the neck to keep it back. He was dressed in a pair of black tight leggings, a pure white tank top shirt, white knee length boots, his white wings were also out his sword was aimed at someone wearing black and red whom really resembled Dilandau greatly.   
Ashley ignored them and concentrated on Hitomi and herself, though was interrupted by someone putting a hand on her shoudler. Looking over she saw Van watching everything happening.  
" What is this?" He asked her.  
" I don't know but it's scary." Ashley whispered, a bit scared. She watched as the evil Ashley charged Hitomi and blew her back with black energy. The energy blew Hitomi a couple of feet and into a large rock, Hitomi was dazed when Ashley dissappeared, reappearing infront of her; her sword out, staff gone. Ashley pushed the sword deep into Hitomi's abdomen, the evil Ashley smirked wickedly and watched as Hitomi moaned silently in pain and grasped the blade with her bare hands. Her green eyes becoming glassy as the life faded from her.  
Withdrawing the sword, Ashley watched the lifeless form of Hitomi slump to the ground. Smiling to herself the evil girl flicked her tongue out and licked the blood off of the tip. Grinning she turned around to see Van kill her beloved. The girl screamed in rage and horror, her eyes becoming unnaturally cold she flew at him her sword in both hands ready to slice him in half. Though he flew up and blocked, throwing her to the ground, levitating downward, Ashley got up shakily. Turning around she stuck her sword out. Not really watching what she was doing she had pushed it right through his own stomach. Van's wide ruby eyes stared into her own cold, dark violet ones as he too grasped her sword. Pulling it out slowly Ashley pushed Van to the ground and laughed maniacally. Taking to the air she began to hack through people like knives through potatoes.  
The vision shifted as the two siblings were sent into a black abyss, Van holding onto Ashley's shaking form. There before them were their parents, Varie and Gou Fanel. Van looked at them with sad expressions then down to his sister who had her face buried into his side crying hysterically murmuring things like 'no' and 'that isn't me, I'm not a bad person'. Van sadly looked at her as he listened to his deceased parents speak to them.  
" Kurai, Van...please listen to what we are about to tell you." Varie spoke to them softly. Ashley looked up at her new name and began to wipe her eyes free of the tears that had been spilt.   
" You're my parents?" Ashley dumbly asked. Gou's eyes softened at the sight of his little girl and Varie nodded.  
" Beside that point, listen." Gou stated in his rough voice, that sounded like and older version of Van's teenage voice. Ashley and Van both nodded, though Ashley still had a hold of Vans waist with him absent mindedly petting her hair.  
" That image you both saw there was an image of about twenty thousand years ago, when the Atlanteans first made Gaea. Kurai, you were the reason Atlantis sunk below the sea. Actually you weren't you back then, you were born to the royal Atlantean family, you were a very kind person but your name was Kali back then. Anyways, when you were fifteen you met a boy named Dalindo, he had been shipwrecked on the hidden island. You two fell in love, but his evil ways led you to corruption and greed. So when you went to over throw the current ruler, who was your brother Vyonae, the entire kingdom of people went against you. But, with your power and the evil inside of you; you eventually killed everyone, except a select few thousand Atlanteans. You eventually killed yourself with the evil energy overload, going down with the lost city of Atlantis." Varie explained, Ashley was horrified and looked down at the ground.  
" So, I am a bad person..." Ashley mumbled and silent tears began to fall down her face again.  
" No, Kurai listen to us, when you were reborn, to us your mother was a little shocked by your looks. I mean we both had dark crimson eyes, she had darkish greenish black hair and me with coal black it was odd. But, then after some research she found out about the prophecy of an old woman who told us this the day we announced that you were pregnant to the people of Fanelia. She said that the baby would be a girl, a great girl, greater than any god or goddess in any religion. This girl would be the reincarnated soul of Kali the legendary princess of the Atlanteans who turned on her people and killed thousands of them. Though, she warned us that you would be slightly different than the evil one. You would be the good part of her soul, since the soul was split by the higher beings. The evil part would be set into someone elses body and the good into you. You would be the one to end the great Gaean War on the Eve of your fifteenth birthday. But, it wouldn't be so without a great consequence." Gou finished, Ashley blinked back the tears and sniffled slightly.  
" So, I'm not bad, I'm here for a reason." Ashley saidm Varie smiled and nodded.  
" What I don't get was, why Hitomi was in all this." Van finally spoke up, he was more composed than his younger sister by one year.  
" Hitomi was a daughter of Japanese emperor, and an Atlantean woman. Though Hitomi wasn't Hitomi she was Hoshiko. Hoshiko was also shipwrecked on our island and had been having a little fling with the prince. Hoshiko held the power to stop Kali though being uneperienced she failed, causing the downfall of Atlantis and the uprising of Gaea." Varie answered. Ashley nodded, though Van was still processing this.  
" I'm sorry young ones, but you have to go now, we'll be seeing you again soon." Gou called out, Ashley now picked up on the fact that her parents voices began to get farther and farther away. Then she couldn't see Van anymore, until she saw a bright white light, from the light she heard Van and Allen calling to her. Running towards the bright light she felt something slap her.  
~ end of vision~  
  
Ashley opened her eyes slowly to see atleast fifteen people in her room, swords drawn. Though Allen motioned for them to put them away, Van was sitting on the bed next to her laying form, his face was worried. Ashley bit her lip and threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly.  
" Oh my god..that was soo..... oi.."she whispered and let go, looking around the room she spotted Allen and glared. " I'll say sorry, for trapping you but once you piss this girl off you know you're in for it." was her only answer, some snickers were heard around the room as men filed out of the room. Allen pushed everyone out of the room to allow Van and Ashley some time alone to talk. Giving Allen more time to flirt with Hitomi to try and get her into the sack.  
  
Once the door closed Ashley turned to her brother, she studied him a moment before she decided to speak.  
" Van, I'm sorry." Ashley said. Van looked at her funny before questioning her.  
" What are you sorry for?"  
" For the way I was back then, maybe if I was good Atlantis would have still been here and then the draconian people could be left in peace on Earth and not critized like they are on Gaea." Ashleyt answered.  
" Didn't you even listened to a word mother and father said. You weren't the same back then as you are now. You aren't evil, you're good and pure, and the way I see it I'm happy your here, good or bad the outcome. I was dreaming of when we were little and how we used to play together. I missed those days." Van semi-whispered the latter part, Ashley's dark violet eyes began to cloud up as she once again threw herself onto Van, this time he fell over. Ashley hugged his sided as she laid her head on his shoulder.  
" Van, I did miss those days, mom, dad, Folken. I missed all of you, I don't tell anyone, but I used to cry after Folken told me about everyone because I was thinking about everything I missed." Ashley whispered, sniffling slightly, her eyes closed she felt Van idly pet her hair and saying things like ' Shhh.... it's ok' and 'I'll be here for you'. Soon, Ashley felt relaxed enough to sleep soundly.  
  
Van laid there thinking about his sister, his life, the future, and what was going to happen. What if she died, what if he died, what if Hitomi died; would he be the one to bring his sisters death, would she bring hitomi's and his. Would the same outcome of Atlantis happen to Gaea? He couldn't help but wonder these things, he felt bad for taking her away, she seemed so happy on the Vione. But, he thought it was best, maybe he could help her get back to the Vione without someone knowing and make it seem like she escaped. But, would someone know, there were a lot of sneaky people on this ship; including him but somehow he knew he should just let fate decide things, it was always best; right?  
  
Dilandau sat on his throne, his Dragonslayers all obediently in formation, a select six trying to keep themselves together. They were all mad at what had happened earlier, Ashley had been kidnapped by the dragon, his wench and the crusade. Dilandau angrily slammed the bottom of his fist onto the black arm rest of his chair creating a loud clanging through out the room. His crimson eyes turned into thin slits as he thought about everything. Maybe it was good that she was gone, maybe he'd be able to focus on more important things than a girl. Though, everytime he tried to focus on something, her crying, tarnished face would enter his mind. The same face he saw before Van sliced his cheek....his perfect, flawless, creamy, white, cheek had been tarnished by the blade of Van Fanel her very brother. His glare became harder to see, it made him look like he had closed his eyes. Absent mindedly running a slender finger over the cut repeatedly he began to murmur ' cheek' repeatedly.  
" Dilandau-sama maybe it isn't wise to press on the wound." Guimel inquired, which made Dilandau leap up and slap him hard across the face.  
" Do you think i do not know that!! Now, you all get the fuck out of here and do not disturb me or else you will face dier consequences." His glare made then all leave, sighing he climbed the three stairs and slumped into his throne thinking about a certain violet eyed princess.  
  
Folken had tried to get his work done but Dornkirk had somehow found out about the invasion upon the Vione and began to chew him out. Then afterwards he was given orders to find his sister and recapture her. Stupid old bastard, didn't give a flying fuck about the dragonslayers feelings, just going to send them out to find her. Yes, he though they should look but atleast give them time to let out frustration, give them time to breathe. So, that is why he was making up excuses on why he shouldn't tell them sooner, than the fact they needed to build uop rage, which was a good idea it would work for a little while. He'd send them up as soon as they made it to Freid, it would be easier since that was where he figured Millerna would make Allen go. Stupid princess, stupid hair boy; he was wrapped around that girls finger like a really tight curl that wont unravel.  
" Oi, when will my little Kurai be coming back." He murmured, shaking his head he buried his nose into his current book trying to get some work done.  
  
Hitomi sat in her room, it was right next to Ashley's current room on the crusade. Merle was going through her duffel bag again, though it wasn't bugging her. What was bugging her the most was Ashley, why was Van still in there after what Allen told her she did. Hitomi didn't like the way he was always with her, he was even with her twenty-four/ seven when she was unconcious. Hitomi just had the deep urge to hurt the small girl, she didn't understand where it was coming from but, what she did understand was the need to get the girl out of the picture.   
' Yes, if that bitch is gone, Van will be all mine." Hitomi smiled wickedly as she stared into space not really knowing where the evil energy was coming from deep inside of her very being.  
  
Allen was boredly standing around the head of the Crusade, the crew was now settled down from earlier and he had gotten them into the border of Freid. Millerna was still trying to get him to show her around, so what he did was he told her to go get a yellow tailed salmon from the cook, and don't take a ' we don't have that' from him. It was brilliant really, she totally bought it without a second thought. Though with her trying to please him at all times she was pretty much and easy candidate for this kind of stuff. He really didn't like her for her, just that she looked like his late love, Marlena, and now he was being forced to see the son he couldn't even tell he was his biological father. It was sad, but true, he wasn't supposed to be near Chid even if it meant delivering Millerna, but the duke was away so I guess some rules are allowed to be broken. What could possibly happen, they'd be locked up? Ha, yeah right Chid loves Millerna too much to hurt her and her 'freinds'. It's sad really, she thinks he loves her yet he doesn't, and she chooses to beleive everyone is her freind, even though people make fun of her ditzyness. She totally sees right through it, no one really does anything obvious, but it is to the smarter people of the world. So dense is she, Allen couldn't wait until he could get her off his ship. But, in Freid he had a feeling things wouldn't be alright, but he pushed that thought aside as Gaddes came up to him asking about the hull of the ship.  
  
Note: Reveiw if ya want, thank you for reading, and I love this fic, it's my baby. Oi, it's hot here....i swear I'm sticking to my chair....er. Anyhoo.thankz and bai!! 


	9. Hitomi dun like Ashie does she?

Disclaimers: I do not own Escaflowne but I do own Ashley!!  
  
Haned Megami se Tenshinranman soshite Kyuui  
  
Chapter Nine  
  
Ashley awoke, it was night time and Van was gone, sighing she really did miss the days all three of them would lay together in the grass and sleep on those lazy afternoons. How she would watch her older brother make faces at the court whenever he didn't agree with them, despite his age he still acted like a child. That was what she missed, she wouldn't care if no one agreed in her family, she just wanted everyone to be together and loving every minute of it.  
Sighing the girl dragged herself up out of the feather bed that Van, no doubt, had probably insisted be put into her room. She didn't understand it, but the first time she was with Hitomi, she felt a good, natural vibe coming from her, now even though she id in the room next door; she gives off a strong evil aura. It scared Ashley almost shitless when she first felt the negative energy being given off, but didn't understand why. Plus, no one ever suspects the Seeress of the Mystic Moon to be evil do they? Shaking the thought from her head Ashley climbed to her feet and stretched her body out, she hadn't slept that good in ages. Walking over to the door, she found that it wasn't locked and upon opening it found no one guarding the door. Shrugging Ashley walked out of the room and shut the large green door behind her. Curiousness getting the best of her, she followed a scurry of voices down the hallway and into a half ajar opened door.  
  
Van had been argueing with Allen for the last half hour on taking Ashley back to Zaibach, but Allen kept on insisting on leaving Ashley here. Allen was saying insane things like ' she could've been brainwashed' or ' she may be tricking everyone'. Van was really tired of it and about to beat ' Finesse Boy' as Ashley would say into a bloody pulp. Allen uses big words to intimidate Van, but in fact, Van knows how stupid hair boy is and how to get under his skin. But, for the time being he wanted to be on Allen's good side for the sake of his sister. (( wait, you mean there is a good side? :: gets hit with a broom::))  
" She has not been brainwashed and she's not decieving us Allen!!" Van practically yelled, Allen rolled his powder blue eyes and looked out the window to the dark forest below. Ashley hadn't even known it was dark out; Van on the other hand was stark mad he was seeing white. Ashley blinked and took this as a good time to enter the conversation before Van actually did kill hair boy. Ashley knocked on the ajar door three times and waited for someone to come and open it.  
" Come in." Was all she heard, groaning she opened the door and walked in. Allen's eyes went wide but she only caught a glimpse as he snapped his head to the side to look out the window. Van though just smiled and threw an arm over her small shoulders, or atleast best he could, she is short ya know.  
" What're you doing up?" Van asked her, he was still killing himself for kidnapping her against her will, he should've asked her if she wanted to come with him.  
" Well, besides the fact that I slept all day...I dunno." Ashley replied, Allen snorted which caused her to glare at the blonde Austurian Knight of Cali. " Hey ya hair boy, sorry back there but I was really pissed off." Ashley tried to smile, but couldn't. She didn't even know why she was apologizing to this guy. He seemed like an egotistical jerk who only hung around girls like her to get some. Her eyes narrowed for a moment without her realizing, though she quickly opened them before Allen tried to say she was killing them all with her eyes. She watched as Allen eyed her though nodded his acceptance, Ashley smiled at him then latched herself onto Van. Looking up at him, she caught him staring at her. Normally this would scare anyone, but Ashley knew it was just that he couldn't get enough of her. Not in a weird psyco brotherly sexual thing like most people would think the first time they heard that statement. But, as in a long time no see, long lost relative kind of way. For the firs three years of little Ashley's life, she had two wonderful brothers who loved her a lot. On Earth she only had her one female guardian who she was told was her real mother. She couldn't beleive for years she actually beleived this, I mean there were so many differences. Shaking these thoughts from her head she smiled at her brother and turned back to a now standing Allen.  
" Well, let us take a tour of the ship, you're going to be here a while lady Ashley, so you should get aquanted with everyone and everything around you." Allen said breaking the unusual silence. Ashley nodded, though turned to her brother who was frowning.  
" You coming too?" She asked him, she watched as he glared at Allen before softening his features to look at her.  
" Yes, I'll be coming with you." Van told her, though there was a hidden meaning behind his words directed towards Allen, which meant that Van didn't trust Allen alone with his sister. (( who would? :: allen fans attack her with nerf bats::))  
  
Hitomi was sitting in her room contemplating on what she should do about the whole Ashley/Van thing. IF Van really was in love with Ashley, where would that land her? (( remember...Hitomi dunno Ashley ish Van's sister.)) What if that girl became the Queen of Fanelia, that would just be the downfall of all Gaea. It really didn't look like that Ashley girl could handle as much as washing the dishes. Her body build wasn't great, she looked like a weak little kitten using bigger badder cats as a self protective sheild against everything else.  
" I will destroy her." Hitomi said out loud, though forgot Merle was in her room and immediatly hit herself.  
" What was that Hitomi?" Merle asked confused.  
" Nothing." Hitomi inphasised this with a wave of her hand. Merle shrugged and continued to go through Hitomi's things.  
  
Allen had droned on and on about how the Crusade wasn't a regular levey ship, but a spectacular work of craftsmanship and teamwork. Let us say that Ashley was damn near ready to kill herself with a dull pointed stick just to amuse herself. Geez, even being shoved into a circular room, and told to find a corner is more fun than this hell she was being put through. Though, her insterest was perked up when they had come to the 'work out room' as it was so beautifully dubbed. It was exactly like the training room on the Vione only smaller. The room had four large support beams around the room, three punching bags, four archery targets, one sword fighting arena, and other miscellanious things to do. Ashley's interest immediatly perked up at the thought of working out. The biggest work out she had was when she was dueling with Migel in the training room. Though she was used to harsh competition when training for swim tournaments and such. Sometimes the couch made them do martial arts to strengthen their leg muscles and the length they can stretch them, they needed as much flexibility and strength they could get to beat the other highschools in her area. Though, the weird thing was that when Ashley would work out, the best thing she found possible was to out her mp3 player on triple base, put it on some really fast beating techno music and try to punch and kick to the beat of the pulsating drums, or other beats. Normally the really dull beats were the punches which were more defined, and the higher pitched beats were kicks, and sometimes three beats right after another were fast jabs. It worked in her mind, though most people found it inhuman to do such a thing.   
Ashley was dissappointed to leave the room, the room brought so many memories from long ago, as well as recent memories back to life. Sighing sadly she followed her brother and Allen out the large enterance doorway and slowly made their way to the front where the deck was. The crew stared at her for a while, though one glare from Van made them tune it down a notch. Gaddess, whom from her brother was Allen's first mate, had come over to them and held his hand out to Ashley. She smiled up at him since he was , like most people, taller than she was. Firmly grasping his hand she shook it and smiled wider at his shocked response.  
" So, this is the little lady who was at the Austurian ball." Ashley liked Gaddess voice, it was soft and relaxing. Though she had to admit Allen's voice was deep, relaxing and sexy, it totally could not compare to Dilandau's.   
' Where the hell did that come from?' Ashley asked herself as she frowned slightly.  
" Yes, well I guess I kinda scared the shit outta a lot of people that night huh?" Ashley laughed at the crews horrified expressions. Van laughed and put a hand on her shoulder, looking around confused it was like with the dragonslayers.  
' So, the two sides aren't that different from each other are they? Then why do they fight? Why don't they just come to terms and get a long like civilized human beings.' Ashley thought to herself, though was interrupted by Allen once again.  
" Well, no one certainly expected that, we're not used to ladies cursing or at least not openly." Ashley's eyes turned into slits at this remark. ' He doesn't think I'm a lady, eh?' Ashley smirked and decided to piss him off.  
" Well, not all girls are willing to be like Princess Millerna and be all helpless and think they'll go to hell for just saying the word 'damn'." Ashley replied in a non-chalant attitude.  
" Well, that type of talk could get you into a lot of trouble." Allen countered.  
" What's it to you anyways, I know you don't give a rat's ass about me so stop pretending and be a man, or are you just a woman in disguise." Ashley was half teasing and half serious. Who the hell did this jerk think he was anyways? Ashley heard some ' ooooo's' and some ' uh oh's ' going around the room but she didn't care.  
" Well, Fanel. I don't you'd just here to help us win this war." Allen answered trying to keep his cool, if he hit a lady in front of his men he might not be able to live it down and they would over throw him.  
" Well, Schezar, what the fuck makes you think I will help you at all." Ashley's voice was radiating an aura that told everyone she was madder'n a moose in mating season. There was no reason for this but if he was going to push her she was going to make sure she pushed harder.  
" I don't but if you see things the right way then you will realize that the side you're fighting for is the wrong side." Allen's words were just above a whisper and were warning her to back off. But, Ashley's lack of common sense made her go further just to push him to the breaking point.  
" What makes you think there is a right and a wrong side." Ashley's whisper was cold and feirce though it got the meaning across. Ashley then proceeded to walk down the hallway back to her brother's room leaving the crew to laugh at their captian.  
" Get back to work!!" Allen yelled, which sent everyone bustling about again. Allen looked accusingly at Van who only shrugged and followed his feisty sister to their room.  
  
Ashley was fuming, she was sitting on the edge of the feather bed and thinking up all kinds of ways to make Allen pay for his idiocy. She watched her brother enter the room with a grin on his face. Ashley took one look at him and couldn't help but smile too, it was pretty fun to see the knight of Cali lose his cool.  
" Ashley." Van said, Ashley looked into his crimson colored eyes and nodded her head in acknowledgement. " He's actually right about one thing though, the way to talk when people make you mad may get you into a bit of trouble." Ashley snorted very unlady like and rolled her dark violet eyes which were by now almost black in her pissed off state.  
" Yeah, well on Earth if you're not a bad ass then people walk all over you." Ashley whispered. She saw Van's eyes turn quizzical at this statement as he leaned against the large green door.  
" Well, Hitomi told us that on Earth everything's perfect everyone's nice." Van stated. Ashley laughed out loud like someone was tickling her.  
" Oh my god!! and you fell for that bullshit!! On Earth it's every man, woman and child for themselves. It's a like an unimaginable war down there, no one gives a flying fuck about anyone, well some people do but the n ot caring population is gradually growing." Ashley snorted again at how stupid Earth was. Van sighed and walked over to Ashley, sitting down next to her he turned to her and hugged her.   
Blinking Ashley hugged him back but wondered why, it didn't make any sense, he was hugging her for no reason. Sighing she thought about how her life would have been different if she wasn't sent to live on Earth. Shaking the thoughts from her head she continued to hold her brother, for some reason she felt he needed this. He seemed so distant before they had found out they were brother and sister, it felt like he hadn't had anyone hug him like this before, just to hold him let his fears slip away for just a fraction of a second.  
" Thank you." was all Van said. Ashley shifted so that his head was laying in her lap and began to run her fingers through his tousled looking raven hair. Ashley smiled and remembered how Folken had done this when she was little to her and Van both.  
" For what?" she asked and looked down at his peaceful face, his crimson eyes roaming over to the room.  
" For holding me, no one ever holds me, well Merle hugs me almost to death but it's not the same as holding." Ashley smiled as felt good about herself. " Ashley?"  
" Yeah?"  
" What would happen if one of us had to die?" Van asked a little hesitantly.  
" I don't know." Ashley truthfully said, then her delicate dark violet eyebrows knitted together as she thought about it, though was interrupted by Van.  
" I'm going to help you get out of here." Van stated as he closed his eyes, Ashley smiled again and giggled, halfway raising a hand to her small mouth she stopped. Her dark violet colored orbs were over taken by the black darkness of her pupils as they dialated. She was entering another vision.  
  
~Vision~  
  
Ashley was floating about various types of Gaean trees, though managed to spot herself and Van on a flying dragon. They were trying to lure the dragonslayer unit from the Crusade, one of the dragonslayers must have not noticed her there for the dragonslayer let his crima claw spiral through the air. Ashley screamed as the liquid metal hurled itself towards her, backing up she awaited something to happen only to feel herself falling. Ashley screamed as she realized she was the one actually falling, though all became black.  
~End Vision~  
  
Ashley gasped for breath as she felt her body being shaken, her pupils un-dialated and she could clearly see the face of her confused brother above her. Blinking rapidly she sat up and rubbed the back of her head where it began to throb in pain. Obviously her brother had pushed her off of him and onto the floor without thinking.  
" What happened?!?" Her brother asked worriedly.  
" I had another vision, I'm fine." Ashley reassured him, a visible sigh of releif escaped him as he placed a large, roughyl calloused hand on his chest.  
" What about?" He asked her, he was now interested in the vision.  
" It showed us on a large dragon, and the dragonslayers. Though I didn't see anything else before it all went black and I woke up." Ashley lied, she did tell half the truth, she did see all of that, but didn't tell him what happened right before it all went black. Suddenly before anyone could say anything Gaddess burst into the room panting, catching his breath he finally spoke.  
" The dragonslayers are approaching Van." Van looked at his sister.  
" Man, my visions always come too late." She mumbled before following Van into the docking bay.   
  
Infront of her was this large massive machine that looked surprisingly like the dragonslayers guymelefs, only on Earth they'd be called mecha. The guymelefe was a creamy white and had a large red jewel in the middle of it's chest. Ashley reached up and touched the jewel and it formed into some sort of liquid stuff. Ashley's reaction was: Pull her hand away as fast as she could, run behind Van, hide; then hesitantly look at the strange thing. Van chuckled before opening the Escaflowne, getting in he some how turned it on and picked Ashley up, which made her a little peeved. Standing in front of the melef bay doors he jumped out into the darkness and somehow the large machine turned into a dragon. Ashley was wide eyed and practically drooling by now, the veiw was absolutely wonderful from up there.  
" So what is this thing?" Ashley yelled because of the wind rushing by them.  
" It's a guymelef, called Escaflowne." Van answered and pulled hard on the reigns, Ashley sensed something behind them and turned around just in time to see the crima claw. Blinking Ashley didn't even think about her vision as she yelped and stepped back rather fast. Not thinking, she went over the side of the dragon, screaming Ashley began to wave her arms and legs trying to 'fly' as she would have so beautifully called it.   
Ashley screamed at the top of her lungs, the wind rushing by her as she pummled down towards the gaean ground she doubted if anyone heard her. Though, she fell onto something hard, hitting the base of her neck onto something she was immediatly knocked unconcious.  
  
Note: Hey ya!! well this is chapter nine, I hoped you liked it, it may be a little boring. It's really hot here and like I'm dieing so I'm writting this while I'm in zombie mode. Anyways, sorry Allen fans... I dun really like him. and I'm sorry Hitomi fans, I don't like her either. lol...anyhoo r&r if ya want. JA!!  
-Koori 


	10. Witch Freinds?

Disclaimers: I do not own Escaflowne but I do own Ashley...lol  
  
Haned Megami se Tenshinranman soshite Kyuui  
  
Chapter Ten  
  
Ashley awoke to the sound of yelling, which made her already pounding head hurt even more. Which made her a not so happy little girl, which for whoever was arguing on her shit list. Ashley groaned as she sat up rubbing her head, though when she went to touch the base of her neck a searing pain went through her spine and she immediately regretted touching it. Cracking one annoyed looking violet eye she spotted Dilandau and Folken still arguing apparently it was a bout her. Rubbing her eyes she opened them both and watched them argue about her. Dilandau was really upset as well as Folken which puzzled her, what happened before she woke up?  
"You should have been more careful!!" Folken yelled at Dilandau, all he did in turn was raise a silvery eyebrow and cock his head to the side.  
" Well, it's not my fault her neck hit the thumb of my guymelef." He said calmly, ok apparently Folken was the only one yelling. Ashley blinked before deciding to end their annoying bickering.  
" If you want to talk about someone make sure they aren't in the room with you." She croaked out annoyed. Both guys heads snapped to the side to looked at her as she glared at them.  
" Ashley, thank the gods you're ok!!" Folken exclaimed and rushed to her side. Ashley just glared at him and unconsciously touched her neck again causing her to wince. She noticed Dilandau go outside and then the Dragonslayers all came rushing it.  
" Ok, now I landed on Dilandau's melef's thumb?!?" Ashley asked a little skeptical.   
" Yeah, and Dilandau-sama rushed you to the Vione." Chesta said quietly, Ashley smirked and decided to annoy the annoying one.  
" Awwww, didn't know you cared Dilly." Ashley teased causing some smirks and a very annoyed Dilandau. Though he was relieved she was ok.  
" I don't have time for this." Dilandau huffed and left the room. Ashley's face dropped which didn't go unnoticed by her brother. Her scowled though kept it inside as for Ashley not to see it.  
" I'm hungry..." Ashley trailed off as a loud rumbling caused by her stomach sounded which caused everyone in the room to laugh. Ashley looked around the room, they looked releived and scared. Had something happened to her while she was asleep or something. Shrugging she hopped off the bed and looked around. " Man, de ja vu or something." She mumbled and laughed at herself. For some reason she felt like she belonged here, this was her home, her family, her life.   
" Well, we should go to the training grounds..." Migel said trailing off. Viole nodded and headed out, after one by one they were all gone, besides Folken and Ashley.  
" So.... how was it?" Folken asked her.   
" How was what?" Ashley asked confused. Folken almost face faulted but only sighed.  
" How was your little visit?" Realization dawned on her as what Folken was saying finally drilled into her head.  
" It was wonderful!! Van's really nice!! I love him!! He's a wonderful brother, just like you!! As a matter of fact her reminds me of you...a lot.. the way you both care for me and act like I'm going to break even though I'm not." Ashley trailed off but began to smile as she thought about how alike they were.  
" I'm glad." Was all Folken said before leaving to do his other duties. Ashley sighed as she was once again left alone. Being alone sucked, skipping out the door she skipped to the training grounds to watch the dragonslayers spar and stuff.  
  
Dilandau was heatedly sparring with Viole to blow his anger off, Viole had pure fear in his eyes which seemed to spark the fire burning in Dilandau. Dilandau thrusted harder until he finally stabbed Viole in his right shoulder. Dark crimson blood stained the boys crisp white sparring shirt. His scream of agony peirced the stillness as another screech was heard near the back. As Dilandau looked up he saw Ashley pushing the gawking people out of the way. She screeched again as the groaning Viole pressed his hands over the rapidly bleeding wound. Dilandau watched Ashley horrified expression and almost laughed.   
Ashley fell to her knees and pressed a hand over the wound, pulling it backs he stared at the blood covering her hand and dripping slowly to the hard packed dirt floor. Shuddering in memory of her latest vision of war, she closed her eyes and shook the memory away. Re-opening her violet orbs she had determination in her eyes. Dilandau's sword most likely peirced a main vein in Viole's arm, and it was gushing with blood every few minutes so it must've been the main vein that led to the heart. unbuttoning her shirt, and taking her tank top off she was left in her bra and pants. Ripping the tank top into strips she made a pad and pushed it firmly onto the wound causing Viole to goran loudly. " Hold this like I was before." Ashley ordered, he looked at her and did as he was told. Ashley smiled and ripped her other shirt upt into strips, connecting them and tied a sort of wrap around the abused area. Helping him stand up she steadied him, he was wavering, probably from blood loss. " Chesta, Guimel take him to the infirmiry, now!!" she barked, it was odd hearing orders from her but it was their comrade and the best for him so they complide. Though they could tell just before they left that something unexpected would happen while they were gone.  
Dilandau was seething, how dare she order his men around with him standing right there!!  
" How dare you orer my men around!!" Dilandau yelled, his furry evident in his voice. The dragonslayer all took a few steps back only Ashley stood forward. She wasn't backing down for the life of her, which most of the people in the room thought she wouldn't have much of one after this.   
" I did it because he was hurt, practically dieing!! Do you understand that you totally split open Viole's main vein to his heart!! You literally just signed his death certificate!!" Ashley screamed at him. Dilandau's eyes widened before they narrowed into small slits that looked like he had closed his eyes. The glare he gave off caused all the dragonslayers to leave the room. The only two people in the room was Dilandau and Ashley, both giving each other glares of death.  
Though, without warning Dilandau sprang at Ashley, pinning her to the dirt floor. Ashley was in shock for a few moments before she kneed him in the groin, he stiffened in pain as Ashley rolled him off of her, unfortunately he still had a good grip on her arms so he easily pushed up and rolled her off of him so he was straddling her hips, her arms pinned to her sides, tightly, her elbows slightly digging into her ribs. Ashley breath quicken as thoughts ran through her head.  
' Oh my god, no one's here but us....what if he hurts me?!? what if he rapes me!?!? Oh my fucking god..gotta get him off me!!' she was screaming in her head, Dilandau was breathing heavily, probably due to the fact he was still in pain from being kneed in the nuts. Ashley stared into his crimson eyes, and what she saw took her breath away. His eyes were a window to his soul right at that moment; and what she saw she wished he would express. She could tell he cared deeply for the people around him, possibly even herself, but she couldn't tell. She could see greif in his eyes, probably for what he had done to Viole. Then his eyes flickered to...lust, want...need? love? anxiousness? then it turned to anger, confusion, then went dead cold. It was like the window shut on its own blocking Ashley's veiw.   
Ashley searched his face, his eyes for an answer to anything, but all she got was blankness. Searching more frantically, she gave up. Then she thought about it, her own eyes were probably mirroring the same things his were. The exact same things his were, it was scary but she now knew that she loved him. Yes, she probably wouldn't have said anything to him but she knew it was there. She even knew that some where deep and hidden in Dilandau he liked or at least cared a little for her. Ashley sighed as she gave up, laying there staring at each other seemed to spark something in Dilandau's eyes, as well as his face. It softened, but she didn't see it for very long before he quickly pressed his lips against her own.   
The action was so quick and surprising that it took her a little while before she could respond. Though, closing her eyes slowly, hesitantly she shivered as he allowed his warm tongue to trace her bottom lip as if actually asking for permission. Without a second thought Ashley opened her mouth and gasped as he plunged his soft velvety pink tongue into her anxioiusly awaiting mouth. Their kiss grew with passion as they both battled each other. Ashley intangled her thin pale ivory fingers into his silver hair, she didn't realize she was doing this but right now she didn't care. Some how she was in another world, where only she and Dilandau exsisted, everyone and everything were gone, droned out, totally unnoticed. It seemed as if they couldn't get enough of each other as their hands roamed over each other's body. Ashley felt somthing begin to grow in the pit of her stomach, but didn't understand what it was, but she did know that she liked it;wanted more of it.  
Ashley was so caught up in the moment that she hardly noticed his hands inching lower and lower until they reached the top button on her pants. Ashley was so lost in her little world that she only realized what he was doing when he had his hands in her pants. Ashley's eyes widened as she shoved him off of her, jumping up she glared at him as she re-buttoned her pants.  
" What the hell were you doing?!?" Ashley exclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest. Dilandau looked confused at her, though didn't answer. Ashley shreiked, clearly a sign she was annoyed and stalked out of the room. Dilandau licked his lips, her taste still lingering there, now he knew what he wanted. But the question was, did she want it too?  
  
Ashley was very confused and scared, was he thinking about what she thought he was thinking about? Shuddering, she began to walk faster down the hallway towards her room. She had to admit, she liked it, liked it a lot, though.... when he had his hand...down her pants that's when everything seemed uneasy. She didn't like it, she was fine with the kissing but he was just going way to fast.  
' Man, I dunno about Gaea or anything but on Earth people just don't jump that far in one kiss.' Ashley said to herself, rubbing her cold arms she half jogged, half walked to her room. If she didn't get to her room and put on another shirt she could catch a cold. ' Why is it always so damn cold in here, it's like that time our air conditioner went haywire and it started snowing in my bedroom.' Ashley thought, giggling slightly she found her room and went inside.  
Immediatly grabbing the nearest long sleeved shirt in her drawers, she found it was her favorite most shirt in the entire world. It was gray, and stretchy, she liked it cause it was made of this cool material, and you could push the sleeves up if you got hot and you'd feel better. She always loved wearing that shirt, it made her feel different, it was weird but she loved it. Putting it on she smiled and pushed the sleeves up to just above the bend of her elbow, and she didn't even have to worry about it going back down. Looking at her outfit she didn't like it so she grabbed the matching pair of pajama pants, taking her boots off her now sore feet and stripping the tight leggings off she slipped her legs into the cool material and felt better. Leaving her thickly padded socks on she felt like wearing pajama's, she just wasn't in the mood, and for some reason her stomach didn't feel very good either.  
Rubbing her stomach she groaned, it felt like someone was trying to rip something out of her stomach through her belly button. Whinning slightly she slammed her door shut and wiced when it began to echo down the hallway. Shrugging to herself, she literally collapsed into her bed without pulling the covers over her.  
  
Ashley had been missing for about a week, and if she didn't come back soon her freinds would just die. She was the glue that held them all together and lately they were all falling apart without her. Her dissappearance put Mary into depression, Cara wouldn't talk about anything but memories of their hyper freind. Jami barely went to the movies anymore for fear she'd see somethign that reminded her of Ashley. Jessica was trying to keep everyone together only it wasn't working, she even had to admit it wasn't the same without her. They tried countless tiems to find her, only to not find her anywhere. Though something sounded fishy, they told Ashley's mom about her dissappearance and all the woman did was shrug and said that Ashley was going on a trip. But, Mary and Jessica knew otherwise.   
~ Jessica and Mary's Flashback~  
They were with her the day she was caught in the pillar of light, that fateful day their best freind dissappeared. Mary and Jessica tried to keep Ashley from leaving only for her to be pulled from their grasps and heaving towards the pale blue sky. After the pillar of white light left their sites, Jessica and Mary stood there a minute in shock.   
" Oh my god, Ashley's been abducted by Aliens!!" Mary shreiked as she started shaking uncontrollably, this couldn't be happening.  
" Well, if that were true they'd be giving her right back since they'd be doing brain scans and soon find nothing there." Jessica joked only to have a death glare sent her way. Gulping Jessica backed away. " I know, no jokes at a time like this." Jessica sighed as did Mary.  
" Who's going to tell her mom?" Mary asked a little hesitantly.  
" The biggest question is how are we going to tell her?" Jessica said, Mary nodded as she went into deep thought.  
" The truth." Mary said, Jessica sighed and started walking towards Ashley's house.  
" No Mary, she'd think we were crazy or something. Though the truth does sound better than lying." Jessica spoke in a soft tone. Mary nodded and both girls walked like in a trance towards there freinds house.  
  
The two girls made it to the house a little to soon in their minds, and soon Mary was knocking on the door. Anita, the mother, opened the door and smiled at the two girls, her shoulder length strawberry blonde hair was in a high ponytail. Her dark brown eyes searching their faces before frowning.  
" Where's Ashley? Wasn't she with you guys?" Anita asked a little scared.  
" Um, Anita...Ashley was abducted by a pillar of white light." Mary said quietly half expecting Anita to laugh at them and ask if it were a joke. Anita sat down on the steps of the front porch and smiled.  
" It has begun." Anita murmured, Mary nad Jessica heard this and frowned.  
" Um...excuse me?" Jessica asked. Anita looked up at her and smiled.  
" No, Ashleyw asn't abducted she was being taken on a trip, now you girls run along and go home before your parents worry. Forget what happened, Ashley will return soon, I promise." Anita said, before going back into her house. Mary went to say something only to have the door shut in her face. Jessica glared at the door as Mary and Jessica walked towards their own homes.  
~End of Flashback~  
Mary twirled a peice of her scarlet colored hair around her pale forefinger. Mary's orangish golden eyes turned to slits at the memory. Her small pale face contorted into a frown as did Jessica's in front of her. Jessica was over her house thinking of ways to bring Ashley back from her 'trip'. Jessica's bright emerald green eyes clouded over with memories of everything that has happened earlier. Jessica was a short girl since her mother is Chinese and her father is half Chinese and half American she got her height from her Asian heritage. Her hair was cut short to her chin and a pale jade color that shone brightly in the sun. Jessica was dressed in a pair of shorts that were black and made of cotton with a white drawstring so they didn't fall off her small waist. A dark green T-shirt was what she wore, the sleeves were too long so she rolled them up to just above the bend of her elbow.  
Mary had just come back from a party at her grandmother's house and still was wearing her party dress. The dress was scarlet to match her hair; the dress wasn't very long, went to about six inches above the knee, and had a square neck line. The sleeves were made of a mesh scarlet lace that had been sewn on to the four inch strap.Scarlet colored tights adorned her pale legs with matching scarlet colored boots that had six inch soles and the top of the boot ended at least two inches above the knee. Her hair was left down to pool around her with the top half held back and put into place by a large scarlet ribbon tied into a bow. Light red eyeshadow adorned her eyelids and pale pink blush mingled with her pale face.  
" Hm, there must be some way to summon the pillar of light to either get to Ashley or bring Ashley back." Mary inquired, then got an idea. See, Mary and Jessica had been training with Ashley to become witches. They didn't have very far to go to reach their ultimate goal. Though Mary and Jessica were having a harder time due to the fact they weren't born with magic in their blood. But, it didn't take them long before they were on their way to passing all tests to become real sorceresses. " Hey Jess?" Mary asked with a smile on her face.  
" What if we tried to use our magic to go to her?" Mary asked, Jessica's emerald eyes widened to that of saucers then she grinned.  
" We'll try it tomorrow, because.." She glanced at her watch and her eyes widened a little. " Oh my god i'm late!! My mom is gonna kill me!!" Jessica cried while she slipped her white tennis shoes on and grabbed her small black back pack, running out the door she called out. " I'll meet you at the park tomorrow morning at six!!" Mary waited for a few minutes, then heard the door to her house slam shut, laughing to herself she turned to her 'book of shadows' and began to scan it for any thing she could use.  
  
Van was trying to sleep, but couldn't get Ashley out of his mind, he shouldn't have let her go. But, he knew that she thought she was fighting for the right side, no matter how much her depised Zaibach he could take everything away from his sister. Like take her from some place she thought was what she beleived in. He astually missed her, sure they hadn't been together very long, or talked about anything in particular but he did miss her. She was so pure and so full of life, she was just what this world needed, she was that an more.  
Sighing he rolled over onto his right side and stared at the shadows casting their forms on the wall of his temporary room. It was hot in there, so he kicked his covers off and slipped back over onto his back. If he didn't sleep he wouldn't be able to operate when they got to Freid's capitol. That and held the crew take Allen into the palace. During the fight, Allen got injured and hurt himself badly. Millerna was operating on him earlier, that's why no one got to sleep as fast as they would have liked to. So, closing his crimson orbs Van slipped off into dreamland.  
  
Note: A little shorter...but this fic is becoming along a little to....how shall I say this...boring..lol..anyhoo...I'll try to do more.. 


	11. You're bleeding WHERE?

Disclaimers: I do not own Escaflowne, if I did then they'd be in my house, with me bugging them with incoherent questions. Anyways, I do own Mary, Jessica and Ashley..also Anita. So leave me alone...lol  
  
Haned Megami se Tenshinranman soshite Kyuui  
  
Chapter Eleven  
  
As suggested both girls met in the park at six in the morning, the sunset starting to peek over the midnight colored winter skies. The pale pinks, oranges and pale blue, with small fluffy white clouds on the outer edges facing them. Jessica was the first one there, she was wearing a pair of black running shorts Ashley had given her just before she dissappeared, along with a white T-shirt, white ankle socks and white shoes. Her slick black hair was pulled into a high ponytail. A large black duffel bag was packed to the maximum with everything possible.  
Mary however arrive a tad bit late, she had to run to Mystical Doorway, a witch and wizardry shop that was nestled in between a Christian gift shop and a barbershop. It was very fitting, she had to get Ashley's book of shadows Mary had ordered for Christmas. It was almost that time and Mary was hoping she'd be able to see her freind by then. She was dressed in a pair of black short shorts with a scarlet colored spaghetti strap tank top that complimented her pure scarlet colored hair. Her golden orangish eyes fixed themselves skywards as she sighed. black ankle socks went on her feet as well as black nike tennis shoes with dark crimson swoosh. Her just above the waist length dark scarlet colored hair was put into a french braid that came to mid-back with her hreat-shaped bangs falling into her eyes. Her black duffel bag was also stuffed to it's maximum.  
"Ok..let's do this." Jessica said happy beyond it's original extent. Mary smirked and nodded her head, and with that both girls got ready to prepare the spell.  
  
Ashley groaned as she rolled out of her bed, grabbing her watch off the night stand next to her bed she looked at it and blinked. It was eleven which meant that she missed breakfast and lunch would be in half an hour of so. Sighing to herself she rubbed her sleep filled eyes and leaned against the bed. Opening her eyes she blinked when she saw a pool of something that looked like dried blood on her bed spread. Blinking the blurriness from her eyes once again she frowned as she leaned foreward and studied the mark on her bed. Blinking, and standing up straight, then looking at the back of her pants, she blinked as she saw a larger dark red mark on the back of her pants. Her sleep filled mind still didn't register anything until her violet eyes turned wide.  
"HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!" Ashley screamed and ran out of her room, standing in the middle of the hallway she was greeted by the dragonslayers all running out of the training room.  
"What's wrong?!?" Chesta asked Ashley blinking. But she wasn't listening, she was hysterical her violet eyes still wide, her hair in dissarray.  
"OhmyfuckinggodI'mgonnadie!!" She cried out as she just shook and started babble incoherently.  
"What..." Ryou asked puzzled, she didn't even stop crying or babbling she was just going on and on and on. Until Dilandau had enough of her constant aimless shreiks. Walking slowly up to her he grabbed her by both of her upper arms, and stopped her, staring into her dark violet eyes he held her gaze.   
" Ok, now explain what this is all about." Dilandau said in a low voice, Ashley blinked and nodded, Dilandau let her go.  
"Ok...I'm going to die." was he calm and blunt reply.  
"WHAT??!" The dragonslayers all yelled n'sync with each other. Ashley blinked and started to cry again.  
"I'm bleeding!! I'm gonna die!! I'm gonna die a virgin!! I'm gonna die without getting married!! I'm gonna die without having kids!! I'm gonna die A FOURTEEN YEAR OLD VIRGIN!!" Ashley screamed breathing heavily, streams of salty crystalline tears pouring down her face as she whimpered at the thought.  
"Where are you bleeding?" Migel asked his pale blonde eyebrows furrowed together tightly.  
"Here!!" Ashley cried through sobs while pointing at her crotch with both of her fore fingers. Chesta blinked, Guimel rubbed his temples, Dilandau's eyes were slightly wide, Ryou was frowning, Migel was pinching his bleeding nose, Dalet was rubbing the back of his neck.  
"Um..er..." Chesta started.  
"What's going on here." Folken asked blinking behind Ashley. Ashley turned around and hugged her brother burying her head in his stomach. ((hey..she's four-eleven...you can't expect her to reach his chest when he's like six something))  
"I'm going to bleed to death!!" Ashley wailed while crying into his chest. He blinked and stroked her hair softly. " I...I....I WISH MY FREINDS WERE HERE!!" Ashley screamed, immediatly a blinding flash of light engulfed and area in between the dragon slayers and the two siblings.  
  
"Hm, circle of white salt. ok, now that we're standing in the middle of the circle what do we do?" Jessica asked Mary who was reading in the book.  
"It says we should feel for the pull on Ashley's magical energy and connect ours with it."Mary said bitting her bottom lip.  
"Alright, concentrate on Ashley." Mary whispered.   
Both girls closed their eyes in concentration, after a few minutes Mary heard Jessica gasp as a warm feeling washed over them. Sheopened her eyes only to close them again as the white light engulfing them blinded her. She felt herself being lifted into the air, then as fast as the light had taken them it deposited them somewhere. With their legs on the surface of something hard, they slowly registered a new gasp.  
" Oh my god..." Came the whisper. Mary and Jessica opened their eyes and came face to face with Ashley.Tears were streaking down her face, walking slowly to her she hugged her taller freind tightly. Then moving on the Mary and Jessica she cried into their shoulders as they did her.  
Mary looked around her and blinked, catching sight of Folken she blinked then sized him up, narrowing her eyes a bit she blinked again. Jessica noticed the other six guys around them and blinked.  
"Ashley where the hell have you been?!?" Mary finally cried out, happy tears streaming down her face.  
"Um...does Gaea count?" Ashley said then blinked.  
" Um, Ashley...who are they?" Chesta asked Ashley blinked.  
Ashley blinked and looked at everyone, then she looked at her pants, this continued for a minute or so before Ashley sighed.  
"Ok, there is a need for introductions..after we find out why I'm bleeding." Ashley said firmly. Jessica rose an eyebrow and looked Ashley up and down before her gaze lingered on the back of Ashley's pants.  
"Where exactly are you bleeding?" Mary asked her eyebrows in her hairline, her face contorted into worry.  
"Here." Ashley replied totally ignoring the guys around her while pointing at her crotch again. Both girls erupted into laughter, while the guys and Ashley blinked in confusion.  
"Ashley..geez..even you should know why." Jessica said the laughter still evident in her emerald green hues.  
"Huh?"  
"Oi, lets go to your room...we'll have a little girl to girl talk in there." Mary said, Ashley blinked but led them to the wide open door. Once everyone was inside ((all the girls)) she closed the door leaving the confused boys outside.  
"Well....lets get back to training." Dilandau said. Her was after all just as confused as they were. Everyone nodded and soon six dragonslayers and one wizard went their seperate ways.  
  
"Ok, Ashley before you left for this...place...did your mom ever explain to you about a womans stuff?" Jessica asked. She knew Ashley went to Sex ed. class in seventh grade, but they hadn't gone over a womans other stuff.  
"What other stuff? You mean there's more?!?" Ashley cried out. Mary laughed and handed Ashley some clothes she got from the closet, along with a small square wrapped in pale yellow stretchy plastic.  
" Ok, now, every month or so a woman starts to bleed down there. This signifies the fact that your body is flushing the inside walls of your uterus out." Jessica started as Mary showed Ashley how to put the pad on her underwear.  
"Why?" was the small reply.  
"Because, every end of the month the walls get old and need to be replaced. Before this can happen your body needs to get rid of the old in order to bring in the new." Jessica answered this question as she looked up from a magazine.  
" It also signifies the fact that our body thinks it's ready to have babies. The egg inside your uterus also gets old and gets flushed out. The bleeding isn't fatal it's just what is inside your body." Mary said. Ashley blinked then nodded, silently she took the underwear and clothes and went behind her changing screen.  
"So, what's happening is called your period. It's natural and you're not going to die from it." Jessica said happy they could do something.  
Ashley came out from behind it a minute later smiling, she was dressed in a pair of dark navy blue bell bottom sweatpants. The ones she had cut the sides on so they covered her shoes. White ankles socks peeks out from under her pants, with pale grey shorts peeking out over the top of the sweatpants. A tight white tank top went over her top part of her body with a dark navy blue satin bra underneath clearly showing it off to the world. Her hair was put into high pigtails on either side of her hair with dark blue satin ribbons tied into bows around them to hold them in place.   
"It is so good to see you guys!!!" Ashley exclaimed and watched her freinds look around her room.  
  
It had been a half an hour later which meant it was lunch time, all four girls were wearing the same exact thing only their hair was all different. Walking into the mess hall turned a lot of heads that day. Not many people were expecting more crazy girls to run around the Vione. Ashley ignored the gawking stares her group was receiving and they all got some food. Sitting with the other dragonslayers and her four best freinds on Earth.  
"So, you're not going to die?" Chesta asked seriously. Ashley had told them the good news but Chesta was still worried.  
" No, I'm not going to die." Ashley said and smiled at him reassuringly. Chesta bit his bottom lip but nodded anyways. "Anyways, guys these are my freinds Mary and Jessica. Guys, these are my other freinds. Dilandau, Guimel, Ryou, Dalet, Viole, Migel and Gatti." Everyone said 'hi' to each other and conversation struck up. Tales of everything that had happened began to spark and the other three girls were left blinking.  
"Hm, I see that my little sister is happy again." Folken said smiling behind Ashley.  
"Little sister?" Mary asked blinking.  
"Yeah, come to find out I was born here, and a princess can you beleive it...plus I was sent to live with some lady as my guardian who was Anita. My real name is Kurai Murasaki de Fanel..but I still go by Ashley. It's just way to confusing." Ashley said casually. Blinking Mary shook her head and continued to eat casting glances at Ashley's older brother whom was now sitting in front of her.  
Ashley looked around the full table and sighed, she was content with this much, everyone was happy. Except she couldn't help but think about her other brother Van, and that Hitomi character. Though Allen was still wary of her he should have been more wary about Hitomi. Scrunching her nose up she smiled and shook her head at the tasteless joke Dalet had told.  
' Hm, it's like heaven...though with the four of us together again...it'll be like hell on Earth.' Laughing to herself she stopped before someone would notice and began to eat.   
'Yep, this would definately be a fun time.' She said to herself and watched everyone with her dancing dark violet eyes.  
  
It had been two weeeks since Ashley had been safely reunited with her freinds, and already they were causing havoc. Ashley long since got over her period, it only lasted three days, much to Ashley's happiness. She hated the thought of bleeding like that. The three girls were still asleep in their respective rooms, Ashley was walking down the long hallway, it was snowing lightly on Gaea's beautiful landscape. They were in a part of Gaea where the evergreens were pure pine colored and beautiful with the freshly fallen snow covering the branches lightly. She was dressed in a pair of tight dark blue denim jeans that rode low on her hips. She was wearing thick socks with her whit tennis shoes with dark violet trimming. A dark violet longsleeved, yet tight top covered her body with the sleeves pushed up just past her elbows. Her long hair was kept in a long french braid to mid-calf. Her small body made it's way towards the mess hall for some breakfast.  
Two days till Christmas, true no one on Gaea knew what Christmas was but Ashley made sure she told them about it. So, currently everyone on the Vione was trying to find something at the markets they figured the people they got for secret santa would like. Ashley unfortunately got Dilandau. She really didn't know what to get him, he was so hard and distant from everyone. She thought about knives, but with him already being insane she figured she liked living. She contemplated cologne of some sort, but he might take it the wrong way. She figured clothes but what if he thought she was making fun of his wardrobe. Furrowing her eyebrows together she sighed, she never worried what people thought of her presents before, why now?  
She had to admit she loved Dilandau but he was complicated maybe that's what drew her to him. Odd, yes, she's had these problems in the past, with her dad, or whom she thought was her dad. He was very distant from her and her 'mother' although she still loved him. He was a very hard man to please, hopefully it wouldn't be like that with Dilandau.  
" Maybe I should have a talk with Mary..she's insane as it is...maybe she can help me with a present. Hey...I wonder who she got." Ashley shrugged and walked into the mess hall to see it only littered with a few people. ' Must be out Christmas shopping.' She chuckled and grabbed a dark blue tray and started to pile it with food.  
"Hey Ashley!!" Gatti said beside her, he was smiling which made him look sweet, but a little too sweet in her opinion.  
"Hey Gatti...what's up?"  
"Nothing really, just wondering if you'd like to go Christmas shopping with me today, I'm taking the other two girls with the rest of the gang."  
"Oh, sure I'd love to go...geez are you all in trouble." Ashley laughed.  
"Why's that?" He asked confused.  
"Think about it, three teenage girls going christmas shopping, we'll be in the freezing cold for hours." Ashley laughed as the color drained from his face.  
"Actually, I think I have some guymelefs to polish.."  
"You did that yesterday." Ashley pointed out.  
"Yeah...but I think I might have dumped dust on one." Raising one eyebrow Ashley blinked and smirked.  
"How ever in the world did you manage that all the way up here?"  
"Chinese secret." Jessica said peering around him at Ashley.  
"Aww...so cute." Ashley mock sneered and piled more food onto her plate with the two right behind her.  
  
"Mary!! Lets go, I wanna go shopping!!" Ashley whined while banging on the wooden door to Mary's chambers.  
Ashley was dressed in a pair tight fitting black pantyloons, with just above the knees length black leather boots with a four inch sole. Her shirt was a long sleeved pale lavender button up loose business shirt. The winter coat she wore was tawny colored leather with cream colored fur on the inside, and on the rolled up cuff and collars as well as the hood. Tawny colored dragon gloves adorned her small hands for a warm fit. Her hair was left down to pool around her as she again banged on the door.  
"Geez, maybe we should leave her." Jessica said boredly. She was dressed in a pair of loose black pantyloons with knee length black leather boots and a tight longsleeved pale mint green colored shirt with two stitches of ribbons at the top. Her hair was kept up in a ponytail exposing her creamy neck. Her winter coat she wore was a brown colored leather jacket with cream colored fur on the inside.  
"No, the three musketeers always stick together." Ashley scrunched her nose upa nd banged on the door while glaring at Jessica. In the mean time while knocking Mary had opened the door and got pelted in the cheek with Ashley's hand.  
"Woman!!" Mary bellowed, Ashley blinked and looked at Mary stopping in mid-knock. Looking at Mary holding her right cheek and her mid-knocked hand she hid it behind her back and smiled sheepishly.  
"Um..sorry?" She said meekly looking up at her orangish golden eyed freind.  
"Sure, whatever." Mary said and walked past Ashley. She was dressed in an ankle length skirt with a slit to six inches above the knee, knee length boots laced up with a four inch sole. Her shirt was a tight three quarter length shirt. A black leather jacket kept her warmer, her long scarlet hair fell down curling.  
"Geez, bout damn time." Dilandau snorted. Ashley glared and elbowed him in the gut. He doubled over in mock pain flashing her an evil smile, that only she could see through as a genuine smile from the heart and not from hell.  
"Yes, now can we go. I think my legs went numb from standing." Viole joked, Ashley rolled her eyes and began to walk away from the group her right arm wrapped around Dilandau's left arm as he escorted her out of the Vione for some Christmas shopping.  
  
Note: Yes, I know I skipped the seasons around, but it's my story my rules..so nah..lol..sorry okie..bai!!  
~Koori~ 


	12. While you were sleeping ::cough::around:...

Disclaimers: I do not own Escaflowne...unfortunately.  
  
Haned Megami se Tenshinranman soshite Kyuui  
  
Chapter Twelve  
  
  
"Ooooooh, this ones neat!!" Ashley cried out while picking up a rather nicely carved set of daggers.  
"Hm, those are really nice...." Jessica stated barely looking at them, Mary on the other hand was drooling over them. Ashley kept the daggers out of Mary's reach and examined them.  
"Wow, mint condition. If not new..." she muttered and grinned. It was something that could kill people but at least he couldn't burn her.  
"So, you gonna get it for him?" Mary asked while jumping up and down.  
"after I get a few other things done." Ashley answered, a small determined fire glowed in her amethyst colored eyes as she walked towards the shop owner to pay for the set.  
  
Ashley currently sat in her chambers attempting to wrap her gift to Dilandau. She knew his two favorite colors were black and crimson. So she wrapped the present in scarlet colored cloth before tying black satin ribbons around the boxed parcel. Another thinner yet also large box laid to the side already wrapped.  
"He better damn well like this." She muttered and placed the presents under her bed so no peeping eyes could find them.   
She caught Mary trying to 'play' with Dilandau's presents earlier that morning while she thought she was asleep. Ashley was not a happy camper than her presents were being fondled. She already tried hard not to get finger prints on the cool, shiny metal. So, after Mary continued to touch them, Ashley waxed the daggers and such to get the finger prints off. She had everyone else's presents in her closet, she knew Jessica knew where they were. She always found them first every Christmas, it was kinda scary how she did it though. Yawning to herself she sighed and leaned back onto her bed, another boring day, somehow Mary had squeezed herself into her brother, Folken's, heart and stayed there over the past few weeks. If Folken was hungry, and not a stubborn ass, and Mary was some sort of edible thing, she would've been eaten by now. Jessica on the other hand had no trouble attaching herself to Guimel, their personalities didn't clash too much, they both had perverted minds, and both were sweet, calm, quiet, and reserved. Though, Ashley felt sorry for Viole, he had his heart set on Jessica, seems she was popular. Both Guimel and Jessica were caught in Mary's room, apparently Jessica miscalculated doors and thought it was her own room. Not that the scarlet sheets and stuff didn't just give it away.  
" So, bored. About to die." Ashley whispered to the blank room, staring at her ceiling she sighed yet again and just wished something exciting would happen.  
Surprisingly, things had been quite recently, normally she would hear someone complain about the wars, not even the dragon slayer group had complained, or at least not to her. It was almost like they were hiding something from her, something they knew was important. Rolling over onto her side she draped her arm over the bedside and played with the tips of the black carpet. Sniffling slightly, she had contracted a small cold, apparently her brother was wrong about the cold going around the ship, he said she wouldn't catch it but she did anyway, though not as bad.  
Laughing to herself she thought about the first time she asked him to teach her how to fly, he first told her he didn't have time. The second answer was it was too cold to learn to fly, some scientific reason, words that were too big for her to understand yet. It made sense until she saw him playing with her game boy when he was really supposed to be doing something with his potions. She was a little pissed off, but how could you stay mad at someone as nice as him. Some people did talk bad about him, but around Mary you got a bloody nose, as well as something important broken courtesy of Ashley herself.  
Sitting up she stood on shaky legs and strode over to the door of her bedroom, in less than a week Christmas was coming, and she was psyched. Couldn't wait; opening the door she looked around and closed it behind her as she walked out. Not many people were allowed out after lights out, feeling along the wall she counted the doors, or so she thought, and opened it, blinking she found it locked. Scrunching her nose up like the demented rabbit she is, Ashley took a hair pin out of her hair and pushed it into the lock, she figured out that these locks were just like the locks in her eighth grade. Though, a tad bit harder to unlock using hairpins, but hell it worked didn't it? Smiling, she was satisfied when the locked gave a familiar pop, opening the door she slinked in and shut it behind her. Slowly, she walked over to the bed, half sleepy and bleary-eyed, Ashley snuggled underneath the silky scarlet covers and cuddled with who she thought was Mary.  
"Wow, May did you like…work out of do the Hermaphroditia Spell without me or something?…Since when did you cut your hair…" Ashley whispered her eyes blinking. The figure laughed out loud, the voice deep and loud in the quiet room.  
"No, I didn't need a spell to look this good." The person answered and turned over to face her. Ashley took one look into their crimson orbs and fell out of the bed.  
"Holy…" Was the only words she got out of her mouth. " God, when I opened the door, you could have said something?" Ashley sneered in the dark, quietly though, the walls were metal but thin, you could hear everything that went on in the Vione.  
"Wanted to see your reaction." He answered sitting up in the large bed, the blanket pooling at his waist just barely showing his black boxer shorts.  
"How'd you know it was me?" She asked curiously.  
"Your shampoo always smells the same, peaches its a distinct smell you give off." He muttered and watched her stand up. "Why were you out after hours?" He asked, Ashley blinked and rubbed the back of her neck nervously.  
"Um, yeah.. When I get bored I go to Mary's room and we talk until we fall asleep, I must have miscounted the doors and came into yours." Ashley answered as calm as she could.  
"But, you picked my lock."   
"Duh, everyone learns sometimes in their life; its so easy too." Ashley drawled and crossed her arms over her chest.  
"Well, you could stay here, and we could talk besides I think Mary's busy tonight." He snickered and looked at Ashley's blank face.  
"What?" She asked confused, Dilandau laughed loudly this time.  
"She's indisposed, her and Folken are getting it on in her room, I heard the commotion earlier before the enchanted silence charm was laced on the walls.  
"Good thing I didn't pick her lock then huh?" Ashley said more to herself than Dilandau, shuddering she blinked and blanched visibly from the though of seeing them making out, or worse naked.  
"Well, Monsieur Dilandau, looks like you're stuck with me." Ashley smiled and plopped herself onto his bed, pulling back the covers and pulling them to her waist she grinned at him.  
"So…." Dilandau blinked and looked around the room. He could control an entire army but not have an intelligent conversation with a girl he's lived with for a while now.  
" Hey, why did you become a dragon slayer?" Ashley asked curiously.  
"I just did it. I really don't remember why, I've just done it all my life." Dilandau half yawned and ran a hand through his silvery locks.  
"If you're tired lay down." Ashley proposed laying down herself, Dilandau shrugged and settled down next to her on his back while she was facing him on her right side.  
"How was your trip with Van?" Dilandau asked out of the blue.  
" Wow, and no mean death threats to go with that, its almost unheard of, like pie and meat." Ashley giggled at her sleepy high. " Anyway, it went great, we talked a little, and got to know each other better. He's a real nice guy, like Folken, they actually have the same view points on this war, the only difference is that one thinks the other is the enemy." Ashley sighed and thought a moment staring at the ceiling. Yawning again, she figured she'd rest her eyes a moment, never think you could just rest your eyes a moment by closing them, you end up falling asleep.  
"Ashley, I…think…" Dilandau started only to be stopped by Ashley's soft snores. Blinking rather annoyed, he had thought of a way to tell her he really, really, liked her only for her to fall asleep. Sighing to himself he decided to claim sleep himself.  
  
Mary awoke the next morning, her black silk draperies were wide open letting the sun cascade through the window. The snow fell rhythmically from the sky, floating and fluttering to its own content. Her nakedness was chilling, but thoughts of the night before warmed her to the core. Rolling over to gaze at her lover and best friends brother, she smiled brightly. Only to have it fall once she saw that no one was there, or even in her room for that matter. Only one single piece of parchment lay on the scarlet silk pillows of her bed. Sitting up, not bothering with modesty since she was in the privacy of her own room, she picked up the paper and began to read it.  
  
Mary,  
  
My love, I am sorry for you to wake alone this morning, but Lord Dornkirk has requested my presence, as well as the others for a meeting, we shall be back before one in the afternoon.  
  
- Folken  
Mary crumpled up the parchment and threw it across the room, growling to herself she flopped back onto her bed and pulled the covers over her head.  
  
Jessica was happily humming to herself while walking down the hallway, for some reason everyone was missing from the Vione, and lots of the doors had been locked. Only the library, the three girls rooms, and the mess hall weren't locked. It was rather odd, like something bad was happening and they didn't want them to know. Like the government and the top secret experiments they did on their army bases. It wasn't meant for the public eye, the civilians. Walking to Ashley's room, she knocked on the door, and waited a few minutes. Blinking to herself she frowned and knocked again a bit louder, giving up she opened the door herself, letting it creak open, she frowned at what she saw. Nothing, no one was there. Leaving Ashley's room open, blinked before thinking about where she could be.  
"One logical place; The Mess Hall. Where ever there's food there's Ashley." Jessica laughed at her own stupidness and headed towards the mess hall.  
  
Ashley sighed and rolled over in the bed, flickering her eyes open she blinked bleary eyed and sat up, looking around she noticed Dilandau wasn't their anymore. Frowning, she sighed.  
"Probably another damned mission. No one ever tells me anything." Getting up from the bed angrily she staggered dizzily to the door and flung it open to see Jessica walking by, only to stop in mid-step to turn to face her friend.  
"What are you doing in Dilandau's room?" Jessica asked blinking her emerald green eyes.  
"Nothing." Ashley mumbled.  
"You were cheating on me weren't you?!?" Jessica exclaimed half jokingly.  
"No, Id never do that." Ashley replied catching on. With those words of pervertedness said the two girls walked to the mess hall together.   
  
  
Note: Omg, sorry it took me so long, and it sucks too. O well, I've had a bad weeks…school started…awful..Xey knows why though huh? Lol… Well, R&R please…bai!! 


	13. The First Split

Disclaimers: I do not own Escaflowne or the characters, only the plot and the characters Ashley, Mary, and Jessica.

Haned Megami soshite Tenshinranman se Kyuui

Chapter Thirteen

"Mary!! Stay away from Dilly's present!!" Ashley exclaimed walking into her room only to stop short when he friend was slowly peeling away the wrapping and folding it nicely. Mary dropped the present in surprise before stuffing it behind her trying to look innocent.

"What present?" She asked, Ashley put a hand on her hips and glared at her, dark violet eyes shining in amusement. Mother figure written all over her if possible, Mary scrunched her nose and played with her red hair nervously.

"It's three days till Christmas, can you wait till then to ask him if you can play with them?" Ashley asked taking the present from behind Mary and re-wrapping them. Jessica came into the room, a hickey clearly showing, she was pouting.

"I don't know how to cover these with make-up like May does." She whined and sat on the bed with her compact and other stuff. Mary giggled and started to do the make-up to try and hide the hickey.

"Oh, let me guess a really tall, handsome and blue eyed blonde wonder slayer gave that to you as an early Christmas Present?" Ashley asked putting the present for Dilandau in yet another hiding spot.

"Oh, I'm sure that wonder would be me?" Gatti stated walking into the room in his slayer uniform, Ashley glared at him and walked over.

"And Pray tell where the hell have you and Viole been for the past two days, not to mention Miguel for two weeks!!" She asked raising an eyebrow. She wore her now traditional tight khaki pants with knee length black leather boots, and a dark violet tunic that laced up at the chest in black string. Her hair left to trail around her as she glared at him through thick black eyelashes.

"A secret mission entitled, get supplies for Ashley and her lady friends or we all die horrible and painful deaths before Saturday." He then presented her with a large bag filled with stuff he had gotten for them. 

"Oi, Gatti you all are life savers!!" Jessica exclaimed getting up from Mary's make up job and took the bag from him. Gatti turned to leave only to stop and turn around a bit to look at Jessica again, a slow smile spread across his face.

"Nice hickey." He stated before leaving the room, Jessica stopped short her dark green eyes going cold as she grabbed one of Ashley's pillows and promptly trying to smother Mary with it. Ashley took one look at the 'make-up job' and laughed loudly.

The hickey was outlined in red lip liner with black eyeliner in the inner circle making a smiley face. Ashley fell onto the floor laughing and pointing at her neck trying to gasp out what was so funny. Jessica took one look at Ashley, then went back to trying to murder Mary. Any passer byer would have thought them mad, but if you knew them personally, it wasn't a thought it was a well known fact on the Vione.

"Lord Dornkirk, we should not bring her to this, or them for that matter. Their powers are still suppressed it may cause them to go mentally insane. This must not be taken lightly." Folken finished, some of the Dragon slayers stood behind him and Dilandau.

"I suppose you are correct, you have until the month before the eve of Kurai's sixteenth birthday, that gives you almost two years." He stated and ended the transmission. Folken ran a hand through his hair and sighed, closing his crimson orbs he groaned and heard the shuffling of the slayers feet.

"When do we train them?" Dilandau asked boredly, his voice drawling a bit, he was tired, bored and annoyed.

"Two days after Christmas, we'll train her friends as well, wont draw attention to ourselves." Folken answered and exited the library, his long black robes trailing behind. Dilandau thought a minute before nodding, looking at his men they were anxious to be let off. With a wave of his hand they all left to go their separate ways.

"I wonder if she'll like her present." He murmured to himself and headed to his own chambers for a quick nap.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!!" Ashley yelled as she skidded into the mess hall, the large pine tree she and Chesta picked out was decked out in white, gold, and silver ribbons and small knick knacks they all thought looked cute. A pile of presents were under the tree and then some for everyone.

"Merry Christmas Ashley." Folken said from a small table where Mary was sitting sipping a cup of coffee. Some people were anxiously waiting for her to wake up, it was hard not to rip the paper to death.

"Ok, you all listen up!!" Ashley chirped, her dark violet cotton night gown swished as she moved against the metal floor in her bare feet. "Ok, everyone get your Secret Santa present and give it to the person you got when you drew." She smiled as everyone scrambled to give out presents. She grabbed her present she sat on a table, well more like presents and handed the ones on top out. A dark green cloth wrapped in neon green ribbon was given to Jessica. It was a new outfit, she was complaining about not fitting in so Ashley bought her one. For Mary it was wrapped in deep crimson cloth with bright red ribbon, a sword of her own, light enough for a woman but sharp enough to cut through sheet metal, she personally tested that one out.

She gave Folken his gray wrapped present, a set of potions and such, he wanted to become a very wonderful sorcerer and she'd break her arm to help him. After the Dragon Slayers got various things from her, she stepped up to Dilandau who was sitting at a table in his tanned pants and loosely worn beige shirt half open. 

She bit the inside of her lip as she held the present out to him smiling a bit. He looked at her surprised before accepting it. He grinned at the largeness of it as he pulled out two small packages wrapped in purple and lavender. Ashley rose an eyebrow as he quietly handed it to her. She smiled and sat on the chair closest to him and timidly opened the top one. He wasn't opening his own present but he kept watching her facial expressions.

"Well, open it faster!!" He exclaimed causing Ashley to jump and grin.

"My aren't we rather impatient." She teased before taking the cloth off and making a funny squeaking noise. Inside was something she didn't think he would ever believe to buy for her. Inside was the most beautiful blue colored liquid she had ever seen.

"It's beautiful..but what is it?" She asked feeling rather stupid.

"It's a perfume, all the rage in Freid." He stated smiling at her, no one seemed to notice they were to busy with their own stuff.

"Awe!! Thanks!!" she exclaimed and opened the second box but it was more rectangular. It was a pendant, held on only a thing silver chain with a tear drop like gem in a clear blue water like aqua color. Her eyes widened and she kept making funny faces and moving her mouth open and closed like a fish gasping for air.

"I take it you like it?" He asked almost hopeful.

"No." She stated and looked up at him, her eyes were a bit misty. "I absolutely love it!!" She exclaimed and practically catapulted herself onto him. Hugging him around the neck her head in the crook of his neck. He grinned and hugged her back.

"I'm glad." He stated as she pulled back blushing, she held out the necklace which he took politely and pulled it around her small neck. She held her hair back as he clasped it so it wouldn't fall off. She looked down at it and smiled.

"Well, then open yours!!" She exclaimed happily grinning as she still sat on his lap she didn't notice that when she was hugging him she totally kept sitting on him. But, not that they minded, but someone else in the room did.

Dilandau smiled and opened his just as carefully as she had, folding the cloth and ribbons as Ashley bit her knuckle trying not to open it herself into smaller shreds. He stopped as he pulled out the sword and the dagger set. Ashley waited as he looked at it and though a moment. Normally he would have killed someone to have given him a new sword or daggers since they were making fun of his choice in weapons. But, this time he didn't do anything but marvel that someone thought about him that much. He looked at Ashley's anticipating face and smiled down at her.

"I love it." He caught himself saying and mentally hoped none of his men saw this. But, he should have hoped the over protective brother didn't see it before he was whisked away by his own love Mary.

"Really?!?" She exclaimed happy, he nodded and she almost squealed if not for the odd looks she would have received. She beamed happily that she didn't screw something up and thought a minute.

'What if he's just setting me up for something?' She asked herself as she watched everyone exchange their gifts. 'But, he's letting you sit in his lap.' A part of her mind told herself as she sat there pondering. Ashley blushed a bit at the thought and giggled to herself.

"What are you laughing about over here?" Viole asked coming over and setting an arm load of presents on their table. Ashley took Dilandau's cup of coffee and drank a bit of it as he glared at her. Giving it back to him she smiled and turned to Viole who smiled at them knowingly.

"So, you guys have anything planned for today?" She asked and smiled at Chesta who was having fun with Jessica and Gatti. She rose an eyebrow as Gatti kissed Jessica on the neck and wished she had that too. 

Mary even had someone before her. Made her feel rather pathetic, not that she thought her friends were beneath her. She had been here longer and they had practically just gotten here and they had someone and she didn't. If she could have stomped she would have. She sighed a bit sadly and thought a minute. She thought back to all the things they had done, all the things they had seen, all the things and emotions she felt. Then Ashley realized the stupidest and most obvious thing of all she had been pondering over. She was totally and utterly in and out of love with Dilandau Aboltau.

'He couldn't possibly love me back. I bet my brother just scared him into being civil with me.' She thought and sighed sadly. Standing up she thought she heard Dilandau unconsciously protest as she gathered her gifts and turned to them both. 

"Thank you for the gifts…I have to go..get dressed.." She mumbled and left the mess hall ignoring Jessica and Guimel as they watched her leave eyebrows furrowed and eyes a bit strained.

"I'll go.." Chesta offered and left as everyone waited for his return. 

Chesta found Ashley in the training room messing with the sword she just bought with Folken's money. She was doing movements she had watched the Dragon Knights do from time to time, almost getting them right. She wasn't a master but pretty good.

Chesta walked in, she was dressed in a pair of black leggings and a tightly white sports bra and knee length black leather boots. Her sword made odd swishing noises as it cut through the air like butter.

"Ashley?" He called out, his innocence always amazed everyone. Ashley stopped slicing and sheathed her sword. Chesta smiled as she approached him, sitting down on the dirt floor she didn't care about the dirt on her pants. Chesta sat down beside her, legs crossed Indian style. She laid down so that her head was in his lap and he stroked her hair affectionately. "You want to talk about it?" Chesta asked her, she nodded a bit troubled, her messily done ponytail shaking everywhere.

"Well, I have a rather odd confession to make, and I trust you enough to tell. Marry and Jessica would either tell their boy toys or try to set it up. I don't want that." She mumbled and played with his black night pants. "See, I'm in love with a man that cannot possibly ever love me back. It makes me sad, I've never loved someone so much, besides Mary and Jessica and they can't exactly help my frustrations." She started. Chesta continued running his hands through her hair as she poured her heart out to him.

"Who is this lucky man?" He asked her even though he knew the answer, everyone knew.

"You promise not to laugh?" She asked a bit nervously.

"Nope, I wont laugh."

"It's, Dilandau…god I totally love him." She murmured staring at the dirt floor no longer playing with his pants. He chuckled softly and yet continued to play with her ponytail.

"You should tell him because I have a slight notion that he loves you too." He said slyly. Ashley got up and looked at him, she smiled at Chesta and hugged him tightly. Pecking him on the cheek she stood up all the way and turned to him.

"Thank you Chesta, you are so sweet!!" She exclaimed and left the room. Chesta smiled and stood up. Now that its settled he could go back to the party.

"Ok, what have you called us here for?" Dilandau asked Folken. He had been itching to just go to bed. He stared boredly at Folken who was stalking around.

"You've been called on a mission to get the Escaflowne. You all leave now, take Jajuka with you." He stated sighing annoyed. Dilandau nodded grinning, able to get revenge on Van for the scar. The Dragon Knights followed their leader to their suits to gather the Escaflowne.

It had been two days and no one had seen or heard from the Dragon Knights. Ashley and Mary dazedly walked through the steel halls and boredly looked for something stupid to do. They passed Dilandau's throne room and stopped as they heard Folken speaking. Pressing their ears to the cracked door they listened intently on the conversation within the room.

"You dare to defy me?!?" Folken exclaimed. "Your mission was to take the Escaflowne without killing anyone." He scolded, and suddenly there was a rather pained moan and something akin to boards cracking.

Entering the room to get a better view they stood in the doorway, before entering as they watched Dilandau squirm in the air while Folken walked towards him clenching his hands. Mary noticed that every time Folken clenched his hand Dilandau moaned in pain. Ashley seemed to notice this as she growled low in her throat and looked at Mary.

"Stop it, you'll break his arm off!!" Ashley yelled running into the room, her white tennis shoes smacking on the steel floor as she ran towards Dilandau. She was dressed in her traditional gray shorts and white tank top. Hair in a high ponytail; since Folken's concentration was breached Dilandau was let off the hook. Ashley ran over to him and cradled his body to hers as she checked him over. He was wide eyed, drenched in sweat, and twitching. The dragon slayers watched her scared out of their wits as Folken growled.

"Get out of here, Kurai." He hissed. Ashley thought a moment, he never called her Kurai anymore, so why now. He must have lost it, Ashley swallowed hard getting angrier and angrier by the moment. Finally snapping her head up to look at her brother she was horrified to see a small violet energy wave crash into Folken sending him through the bolted throne and onto the wall behind it. The soldiers flinched but remained kneeling. 

Folken bravely got up and came forward again as Ashley blinked, she didn't mean to do that, and while she was thinking about it, how the hell did she do that. She didn't understand and Folken took this time to send his own red energy wave at her. She glared and held up her hand, palm outward as the attack went back and headed straight to Folken. 

"Stop it!!" Mary yelled stepping in front of the energy wave and held her own hand out. Once the energy hit her it dissipated and ended. Ashley glared and Mary glared right back.

"Mary, don't get in this." Ashley murmured.

"I love Folken and I'm sorry but anyone who opposes him has to go through me too." She stated trying to get Ashley to see. Ashley growled, glared, and coldly helped Dilandau stand up.

"Fine." She mumbled and let Dilandau drape his arm over her small shoulders. "The dragon slayers are free to go." She stated in a commanding tone. Guimel and Gatti came forward and took Dilandau from her, them leaving but the others staying to back her up in case she needed it.

"Kurai, you must understand what our real mission is." Folken said in a deep monotonous tone that scared her. Mary stood by Folken on the stairs as Ashley stayed in the middle of the room.

"But, our mission is to free Gaea." Ashley stated clearly confused yet still getting angrier.

"No, our mission is to kill everyone and everything, including the planet itself." Folken stated almost cheerfully. "See, the Winged-Goddess has appeared on earth and her wish is just that. You have also appeared, though you are only a fragment of the Winged Goddess of Innocence and Peace." Ashley opened her mouth yet closed it quickly as she thought a moment.

"Who are the others?"

"Ever wondered how your friends got here, it wasn't just their magic, or yours. Gaea was calling them. It was Gaea's will that brought the Goddess together. You are here to make sure the world lives. Though, with you on our side the world would have died for sure." His crimson orbs got a glazed far away look and Ashley blinked.

"I want the world to die as well, but with our powers we can resurrect it to be reborn and start from scratch." Ashley stated her opinion.

"No, if the world is to die it should die and never come back." Mary stated, her voice was far away and not really hers but then again hers. Ashley glared sadly at Mary and her brother.

" You have to join us." Folken stated coming down the stairs and crossing the way to stand before her. Setting his firm hands on her shoulders he stared her in the eyes.

"Let go of me." She said coldly and shrugged out of his hold.

"You must embrace your destiny." He stated. Ashley let out a raged cry and turned around, stalking over to him mad as a bull, she brought her hand back and slapped him as hard as she could. Granted she could have punched him but slaps are more forgivable.

"This is not my destiny or my will, this is what you think it is. I make my own destiny, and no one, I mean no one is going to stop me. Not Family..not even friends." She said this last part directed towards Mary who glared at Ashley. 

"I back her one hundred percent." Dilandau stated come up behind her already gathered his composure and everything. The dragon slayers nodded and Folken let out a frustrated scream.

"Leave now, I never want to see you again!!" He screamed.

"You will dear brother, just before we kill you." Ashley swore as they stalked out and to their rooms to pack.

Half an hour later Ashley stood near the Dragon slayers, her entire room packed in a caravan like thing as everyone packed their suits. Guimel was helping Jessica pack her things as she sat there. She and Dilandau had already put their stuff in his leg compartment. Jajuka left for Zaibach's capital that morning to see if there was anything that could help their situation.

"You ready, we've got to clear out of here by midnight." Dilandau asked. Ashley sighed and looked around her room sadly. It was bare now, except the black carpet and dark walls. Sitting on the floor she looked up at him, he was dressed in his armor now and she was dressed in slightly warmer clothes but not heavy ones. They needed to be light incase they ran into trouble and had to move fast.

"Yeah, how's Jessica taking it?" She asked him, Dilandau's eyes flickered to the side a bit before they landed on the darkened sky outside the bay window.

"She's good, a little upset but not much."

"The one thing that scared me…was that I never fore saw any of this. Normally I have like a vision or something stupid right before it happens. But, this time…nothing…it just…happened." She furrowed her eyes together and sighed a bit. Standing up and stretching a bit she noticed that Viole and Guimel were there.

"It's time to go." Viole said, his voice was low. Ashley sighed, it was her fault they all had to leave. She felt awful now, this had been their home and the other dragon slayers were their family. She took that away, well it was her actions that took that away from them, her brother was the one kicking them out.

"Ok, lets go." Dilandau stated Ashley nodded and everyone filed out. Ashley looked towards the showers she learned had curtains her first day there. Smiling she looked again towards Miguel's room … her first night there with the guys. They walked down a few more hallways and turned right into the hanger. Jessica was directing the dragon slayers and prepping them for the landing point. They were going to the outside border of Zaibach.

"M'kay men, suit up!!" Ashley yelled. Jessica looked at her and smiled a bit as Guimel's suit grabbed her around the middle and jumped off the landing.

"God please let this be like a roller coaster…." Ashley mumbled as Dilandau's suit took her up into the air. About fifty feet in the air Ashley gulped and looked around, she looked behind her to see Dilandau staring at her. She winked before turning around, that was when they stepped off the docking bay door and flew through the cool air.

'God this is much worse than a fucking roller coaster!!' Ashley screamed in her mind and nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a slight bit of turbulence. As they neared the ground she could identify dark trees in the night. Dilandau directed his suit to tuck her under its other arm as they crushed through the sturdy trees and landed loudly on the ground. A few more thumps were heard as well as the hissing of their compartment doors opening.

Ashley was lowered slowly, she stumbled a bit before falling on her butt, she was a bit dizzy from falling but would be ok. She looked around to see everyone safely getting out of their suites. Jessica was trying to keep her balance with Guimel's help who was laughing. She heard Dilandau talking with Viole about their tents and sighed, this was gonna be one hell of a trip.

Mary hummed softly to herself as she thought about what happened. She had never seen Ashley so pissed off in her entire life of knowing her. Also she had never seen Folken so beast like and wild. This didn't make sense, but she didn't care as long as Folken was a live and happy.

"Hm, wonder how they're doing…" Mary mumbled to herself entering her quarters. Folken was sitting on the bed in the dark, his robes were draped over a large black straight back chair and his shirt was discarded on the floor. His head was in his hands and he was murmuring to himself. 

Mary closed the door quietly and slowly made her way over to him. Sitting beside Folken on the bed, he looked at her when she touched his flesh covered shoulder. He smiled at her but his eyes weren't smiling, they were crying sad tears. Mary bit her lip and her deep orangish eyes softened best they could in a situation like this. She didn't really know what to say, basically, they had both just lost a friend, as well as a sister. Folken had lost much more though, he had lost a pupil, son, sister, and his top dragon slayer men.

"I'm sorry." Mary murmured rubbing his back soothingly as he snorted and glared at the blood red walls. The black silk sheets under his fingertips felt cool to his hot skin. "Besides, I have a feeling we'll be meeting very soon." Mary said in a cheery voice. Maneuvering her body so that she was straddling his waist she pushed his shoulders down so that he was laying down on the bed. His crimson orbs just studied her as his hands snaked around to firmly grasp her waist.

"I know." He murmured and sighed as Mary began to kiss up his torso till finally reaching her final destination; his soft lips. They kissed for a while just laying there together kissing. Mary figured he needed her just as much as she needed him, therefore would give him the moon and sky if he asked.

In a matter of an hour the five dragon slayers and the two girls had the five tents up and a large bon fire ready. Jessica was in charge of cooking with Chesta, Ashley tried to help but miss calculated a piece of flaming meat she tried to get off the roast pit and when she flicked the piece of meat it sailed through the air before landing in Dilandau's lap. He wasn't very happy after having to strip down to his white wife beater and tighty whiteys just to get the flaming clothes off his skin. Nothing serious was burned but damn it was close.

So, Ashley was busy setting up the tent she shared with Jessica. They had made it so that it was long ways and they each got half. One side was full of Ashley's stuff while one side was full of Jessica's stuff. Turning on the last kerosene lamp she blew out the match and smiled. It looked cute and would suffice for right now, and right now alone. But later it would be hard to move again, with the war and everyone heading to attack Zaibach they'd be caught in the middle.

Not that she or the others minded, she just wasn't looking forward to what would have to be done. Shaking her head she sat down on her bed and looked at the picture Jessica had in a frame on her bed. Taking it and studying it she sighed. It was the picture Mary's mom took of all three of them at the fair. They were wearing matching outfits only their tank tops were their respective colors. They all had bunny ears and were bent over each other sloppily hanging on each other for a short balance.

That was probably the best day of her life. Putting the picture down Ashley curled up on her bed with a white pillow and cried into it. Muffling the sound she cried for a few minutes before falling asleep, everyone sat outside eating and wondering why Ashley the food lovely psycho didn't come out when they called her.

"There's smoke down there." Gaddes called out, Allen came forward and looked through the periscope. Zooming in on the ground below he could make out a few figures dressed in dark suits.

"They're Zaibach soldiers." He called out, Hitomi sighed and looked at Van who hadn't been the same since that Ashley bitch had been there.

"Should we investigate?" Van asked suddenly interested.

"Yes, we should try and find out why they are on the outskirts and not within Zaibach." Allen stated, glaring out the window and sighed.

"Fine, lets land this thing in that clearing and take our men down there." Gaddes instructed the crew. Some ayes sounded as the ship began to descend from the heavens and towards the earth below. The ship shook as it landed and gave one final creak signaling the ladder door had been lowered and is ready for the scout party to depart.

Allen's little scout party walked towards the groups just in time to see a half naked girl run after another half naked girl. The place was dead hot so naturally everyone wore light clothing but these girls were bare foot, wearing short shorts, and odd tops with strings and showing large amounts of cleavage. The violet haired girl who's hair was in a high bun dripping and sopping wet as was the other one laughed highly as she tried to grab the smaller and much faster jade haired girl with her hair in a high ponytail.

"That's Ashley!" Van hissed and came out of the clearing just as Ashley swiveled again to catch her friend. They both laughed and kept chasing each other, Ashley tagged the girl and the girl turned to slap Ashley back. That was when Ashley turned around and stopped, she stared at Van a moment before blinking and running at him at a fast pace.

"Oh my god Van!!" She yelled and hugged him tightly, Van ignored her wetness and hugged her tightly to him, both rocking back and forth. She pulled back and noticed the scout party.

"What are you all doing here?!?" Chesta yelled coming over to them. Ashley smiled at Chesta and he stopped near them.

"Van, meet my friends, Chesta and Jessica. Chesta…Jessica this is Van, my brother, and his friends." Ashley introduced them still hugging him only standing on his left side.

"Well, nice to meet you again Princess." Allen stated through a tight jaw, Ashley chuckled and nodded.

"Yes, so nice to see you again finesse boy!!" She exclaimed. He growled at the name as Merle laughed her tail off. If anyone could annoy the pretty little ass off of blonde wonder knight then they were perfect in her book.

"What are you all doing here in the woods?" Van asked, slowly the group moved to sit on the logs they set around the burnt out fire. Ashley sat on the grass as Van sat on the log. She was situated between his legs and leaned back into him, her arms resting on his knees.

"Well, to tell you all the truth, Ashley and Mary over heard Folken torturing Dilandau for some reason and she went in to help break up the unnatural torture. She got mad at Folken and accidentally sent an energy wave into Folken. Folken sent one right back at her and she reflected it, Mary stepped in front of it and caused it to dissipate. Folken told Ashley their real original plans and she didn't agree. Mary agreed with the plans and Folken tried to tell Ashley it was her destiny. She got mad, slapped him, and he got pissed and kicked all of us off the Vione." Chesta summed it all up, Van hugged Ashley from behind and she closed her eyes. After waking up this morning with a head ache from occasionally crying in the middle of the night she wasn't about to have another head ache. 

"Well, what was their original plan?" Allen asked from his perch diagonal from them watching the brother and sister intently.

"Their plan was to use the Winged-Goddesses wish to destroy the entire world, without bringing it back. But, since we were fragments of the Winged Goddess of Innocence and Peace, we were to destroy the Winged-Goddess and either keep the world as it was, destroy it, or destroy it and bring it back." Ashley replied. She looked from each person before looking at her hands. The only Dragon Slayer there was Chesta the others were hunting for the time being.

"But, Hitomi's the Winged-Goddess…" Merle stated.

"We know this, its our destiny to destroy each other for the good of mankind on both Earth and Gaea." Jessica murmured. 

"Yeah, yeah, but in the mean time how about we…play a game?!?" Ashley proposed jumping up. All the while smacking Van in the nose with her hand as she jumped up. Standing there she surveyed the group still thinking of a suitable game to play with them.

Note: Omg…it's done..after a year..Xey you better like this damn it..lol Please R&R!!! 

~Koori~


	14. The Second Split, followed by a dramatic...

Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne..but the characters Mary, Jessica, and Ashley..I do own.  
  
Haned Megami Soshite Tenshinranman se Kyuui  
  
Chapter Fourteen  
  
Ashley looked at Jessica, the two girls standing there staring at each other for quite a while. Before both broke off into a huge grin. Ashley stood there, hands at her back rocking back and forth innocently on her heels, Jessica took the hint to whistle for here.  
"We'll play..truth or dare." Ashley's voice came out slightly high pitched as she was trying not to giggle uncontrollably.  
"Truth or Dare?" Merle asked watching her through lazy eyes.  
"Yes, see I'll ask someone, 'Truth or Dare' They have to pick one of them, if they pick Truth I ask them a question and they have to answer it truthfully or I get to punch them, if they pick dare, I give them a dare and if they don't complete it I get to hit them." The boys rose an eyebrow thinking it wasn't that bad of a harmful game. If only they knew the twisted humor of two teenage girls.  
"Ok, I think that's fine." Chesta stated. He was after all the baby sitter while the others were hunting for fresh water and game.  
"Ok, Jessica truth or dare?" Ashley asked sitting once again between Van's legs and looked at her friend expectantly.  
"Truth." Ashley mentally cursed and screwed her face up in disapproval for Jessica's decision. Ashley thought a moment before a sly smile over took her petite face and curled at the ends almost like the Grinch who had stolen Christmas.  
"Have you and Guimel made whoopee yet?" Ashley asked and Jessica's face tinted a fine shade of red.  
"Whoopee?" Van asked, Ashley giggled.  
"Whoopee is a slang term for sex on Earth." Jessica answered her face getting even redder. "And..yes..yes we have!" Ashley's eyes got wide at this and she began to laugh.  
"Ok..ok..wow.."  
"Ok, now..hmm...Finesse boy..truth or dare?" Jessica asked remembering her friends nickname for the blonde wonder knight. Allen, wanting to be brave, and also, oh so horribly stupid; made his fateful decision.  
"Dare." The one word made Ashley's face light up like a Christmas tree, Merle made a snorting sound, and Jessica just started laughing hysterically.  
"Ok, ok..ok. I dare you..to let me and Ashley make you over." was Jessica's reply. Allen seeing nothing wrong with this allowed Ashley to drag him into the two girl's tent.  
"Ok, now..you all can play." Ashley said before closing the flaps of the tent and getting to work on the dare.

-------

It was about an hour and many truth and dare questions, before Ashley and Jessica finally emerged, dry, yet faces sweating from their labors. Ashley was trying not to burst out laughing, the only one composed was Jessica who looked at everyone who held expectant eyes.  
"May we present to you..Alana Schezar." Jessica and Ashley stepped away taking the flap with them and Allen came out. Gaddes about died right then and there laughing himself to death.  
Allen was dressed in a pair of white high healed leather go go boots to mid-calf. His hairy legs caught the suns light on the blonde hair on his legs. His body was stuffed into a tight black mini skirt that looked like a rubber band on him. To top it off he wore a neon pink corset that they stuffed with socks and underwear. His hair was piled high on his head in ringlet curls, no one was sure how they managed that, with his hair falling into his eyes. He was even forced to wear make up. His lips were smothered in bright cherry red lipstick, his cheeks done so darkly in pink blush he could have passed for a raggedy Andy doll. His eyes weren't half as bad, thickly lined in dark blue eyeliner with hot pink eye shadow. His eyelashes caked in black mascara. He looked a lot like Andy Dick when he became Daphne, Christina Aguilara's cousin. Everyone was roaring with laughter, Ashley couldn't contain herself, rolling around on the ground pointing and laughing.  
"What the hell is going on here?!?" A surprised voice broke over the laughter stopping it entirely. Ashley turned to see Dilandau and the other dragon slayers standing around them with supplies they would need until they got to Zaibach.  
"We were playing truth or dare and we dared Allen to let us dress him up." Ashley answered calmly jumping to her feet.  
"Really now?" Dilandau asked. "But, why are they here?!?" He asked warily eying Van and the other crew members from the Crusade.  
"They saw smoke and came to investigate." Jessica said.  
"Oh, really.."  
"Yes, really." Ashley stated, the conversation was rather boring so she just went over to her brother and sat with them. "Can they stay for dinner?!? We'll have a party!!" She exclaimed grinning.  
"That sounds wonderful!" Chesta said approving the idea. He gave Dilandau a look and all Dilandau did was put the water down and huff over to his tent.  
"Can I change now?!?" Allen asked still not removing himself from the spot before their tent. Ashley giggled and nodded not trusting her voice. More laughs followed as Allen hurried to change in the tent.

-------

The Vione was beginning to get increasingly more boring as time went by. A whole day, and she was bored without the company of her two best friends, sisters even. She just kept telling herself, it was for the best. This way, nothing bad would happen to anyone. She still felt horrible, missing them horribly. They were all three together and then split up by a guy who didn't even pay attention to her anymore. She was being trained every day with the other dragon slayers. It was to prepare them for the soon arriving battle ahead. She could smell it on everything, it was the familiar smell of when something big and possibly bad was coming their way.  
  
'I don't think Folken loves me anymore, I haven't seen him all day, and all he did was bang me then leave.' musing to herself, Mary entered the mess hall, once again it was empty. Grabbing her food she sat by herself and ate. It wasn't that much fun. So, boring and she was going to die. The only think keeping her remotely busy was the training sessions, and those were brutal.  
She was taught by random family members to sword fight, but these were real soldiers, they were trained to beat each other and inch from life and then call it quits. Not that it would be too much of a problem for it, it was just, not what she was used to. A lot of these people used techniques she never heard of so she had a few cuts here and there, which was why her arms were bandaged a lot and she was lucky she could even use her left arm. A rather insane, not as insane as Dilandau, guy had cut her left arm so badly she had thought it went through the never but it was fine after a small check up from the doctor.  
'What if this war isn't worth it? What if we're fighting for nothing?' She asked herself spearing a potato with her fork and popping the hot morsel of food into her mouth. Chewing slowly she thought a moment. 'What if...I'm not fighting for the right side."  
"That's dumb, of course this is the right side. A world that can't run on it's own full of corruption, greed, and such crime shouldn't exist at all. I shouldn't even be questioning this." She glared at her food and angrily continued to eat before deciding to go finish training. She had to be prepared after all. 

-------

The party was doing good, most of the Crusade, and most of the dragon slayers, even Chesta was drunk. Ashley wasn't but Jessica was slowly getting there. This was when the conversation had taken a turn for the worst. Van had brought up the one thing they didn't realize or even think of.  
"If there are three parts to one thing, then why are their two of you here?" That totally made no sense, so, Van in his drunken stupor, re- phrased it. "What I mean is, there are going to end up being three sides, you both don't agree with the fate of the world do you?" Ashley looked at Jessica who stopped taking a swig of Vino and blinked.  
"I think that, after the war the world should be left as it is. To live with it's mistake and to try and make it better." Ashley frowned at this.  
"But, how do they expect to do that when they fucked it up this far?" Jessica sat a moment and thought, she was a rather wise girl.  
"Because, it helps to learn from their mistakes, much like our world and their wars. We learned from World War Two that the horrors of war are real and that people are sick, and that one country can't influence every country that's out there. We learned to cope, a tad bit better as one society, lending help when it's needed as well as available." After Jessica's words died down Guimel kissed her cheek.  
"We don't agree..." Ashley's words were far away as a pained looked flashed across her face. "Well, Van, you obviously brought this up for a reason." Ashley's tone was sad but she knew it was going to happen.  
"I'm proposing that one of you come with us." Ashley frowned. "Well, since we found out what you all believe, I think that Jessica should come with us. It would also be safer in the long run." Ashley didn't understand nor want to possibly understand at this point she just wanted to go to sleep.  
"If that's what Jessica wants then it's ok, it was bound to happen." Jessica looked at Ashley with sad eyes.  
"We should leave now." Gaddes said drinking more Vino. "We can't leave Hitome with the other men long, she creeps them out sometimes."  
"Well, if Jessica's going..I would like to ask if I can go as well." Guimel asked. Dilandau didn't answer just nodded and turned from his man. Jessica and Ashley hugged before leaving the camp to help pack Jessica's things.  
It didn't take that long, just a few large duffel bags. Guimel and Jessica each hugged Ashley hard. Then Ashley hugged Van like her life depended on it, she knew that the next time they all saw each other it would be fighting to the death for what they believed in. Their own version of how they wanted Gaea to be. Ashley stood there watching the crew of the Crusade, her brother, Jessica, and Guimel walk through the darkness of the forestry, small tears swelling in her eyes until she couldn't see their darkened figures any longer.  
She ignored the drunken stares of the dragon slayers and walked to her tent, half of it now empty. She laid in her bed and began to cry, it was the final split and she wasn't sure how she wanted to handle it. It was to be expected though, their ideas were different, and differences can either mean bad or good in a friendship. She ignored the cough when someone entered her tent, and when they person sat on the edge of her cot. He put a hand on her back and patted it a bit, she glanced over at him and noticed it was Dilandau. Scooting over she moved so he could lay down, which he took. She noticed he was also drunk so it was to blame for his remarkably wonderful manner.  
"Why so sad?" He slurred a bit, she moved to lay on stop of him, legs on either side of his body as she laid her head on his chest.  
"Well, both of my friends are on opposite teams, and I know for a fact that the only other time I'll ever be able to see them again is when we're trying to kill each other for control over the fate of Gaea." Dilandau tried to blink and understand her words but just settled for being silent and rubbing her back.  
"I love you." Those were the only words uttered from his lips, they were muffled and slurred, but still the words she had been wanting to hear for awhile now. Ashley looked up at him almost afraid to breathe or speak for fear of this being just a dream. The notion was broken however when he made a muffled snore in his sleep. He'd passed out. Ashley glared and looked down at him.  
Leaning forward she kissed him full on the lips, tasting the Vino still on them. She blanched at the wine, but smiled none the less, his lips were surprisingly soft. She knew he'd be pissed if he knew she had kissed him, so she continued to stare at him a while longer before letting claim take her over. Laying herself on his chest again she snuggled against him, closing her eyes.  
"I love you too." She whispered into his chest before allowing sleep to take her over as well.  
Chesta came in an hour later to check on her, finding them both asleep he chuckled silently to himself and pulled a cover over them both. Leaving her closed the flap and made sure the others got to bed, it would be a rather hard day before they reached Zaibach. 

-------

Ashley woke up with a slight headache from being shoved onto the dirt floor of her tent. Rubbing her back she sat up blinking bleary eyed and still tired. Dilandau sat in her cot looking around. Obviously he had woken up, not known where he was, and got up fast knocking her off of him. She glared at his smirking face and stood up.  
"You can be such an insufferable asshole you know that?" She asked him while dusting herself off a bit.  
"Yes." He answered and got up. She just glared, sort of sad that he hadn't remembered anything from the night before, or at least he wasn't letting it be known.  
"Mmm." Was all she said as he left her tent. She got dressed, in her black leggings, black leather knee high boots, and her dark purple tunic. Her hair was kept up in a messy bun. She began to pack her tent up. They would be moving as soon as humanely possible.  
She threw her stuff down by Dilandau's Guymelef he would pick random pieces up and place them in the leg compartment. Everyone was too busy to really question what all had happened the night before. She left Dilandau to finish packing as she helped make it look like they had never been there, which meant to get rid of the logs, and dump dirt over top of the burned out fire. Sweeping away foot prints and helping to stash the broken tools in compartments to discard once they did reach Zaibach. Ryou came up to her, his hair was matted from sweat and he looked absolutely miserable in his heavy armor.  
"I'm taking you in the Guymelef today." He said, Ashley turned to him and blinked.  
"Why not Dilandau?"  
"He said that incase of a fight, he's the only one with the flame thrower." Ashley rose an eyebrow and ignored the look he had given here.  
"Well, ok. When do we leave?"  
"As soon as Chesta comes back with some more water." Ryou left Ashley alone to her thoughts. It wasn't even that long before Chesta came back jugs full of fresh water from the river the others had found awhile ago.  
She was in Ryou's Guymelef's large hand. They were levitating above the ground at astounding speed toward the Zaibach capital. They had passed over the border not too long ago. About an hour after starting their long trek. The forestry wasn't as pretty inside Zaibach as it was outside. It also, got continually worse the farther in you got. The entire country had butchered the land it lived on and it was sickening to look at for Ashley. She always loved the forest. It was a peaceful thing, full of life and species way beyond even her imagination. They just haven't found them yet, though, she knew they were there.  
She saw the faint line of black as they parted through the thinning forestry. It was the outline of a vast, darkened city. It was a mining city, that's why there was a large palace in the middle of a hole, that went deep into the earth, black billows of smoke and smog were released from large pipes running from into the hole to the top of the city surrounding them in a thick mass of smoke. Ashley coughed violently as they passed through one. She glared at Ryou as he laughed at her, she noticed in his armor that her face was all black from the soot inside the smoke. She glared at the smoke and covered her face trying to breathe, hoping beyond hope not to get the black lung in a day.  
They landed on a docking bay, their guymelefs being taken care of by various mechanics. Ryou gently lowered her to the ground, her booted feet softly touching the ground. She looked around, watching as people scrambled to take their luggage and haul it off. She was kind of nervous, she had heard that this Lord Dornkirk guy was like, THE boss. Looking around she was met by Gatti and Viole who stood with her looking around at the place they had first become dragon slayers at.  
"Well, what do you think?" Viole asked throwing an arm over her shoulders.  
"It's...nice.." She said with a face as she watched the smoke filled sky get darker, if possible, almost signifying night fall.  
"Well, it's almost dinner time, so if you want to get freshened up I'll take you to your new quarters. Your room will have a bathroom." Viole commented the last part as Gatti grinned. Ashley smiled at them a bit still a little depressed about being there without Jessica or Mary. Both somewhere out there, she didn't know where.  
"Ok, but I get the shower first." She said. Gatti just chuckled and walked away as she and Viole followed him. The other dragon slayers took this too, to get ready for dinner.  
Gatti led her through a long maze of halls with doors, all metal like on the Vione only hot. He finally topped at a door and opened it, the room was slightly bigger than the one on the Vione. The walls were metal and rusted around the corner, obviously from leaking water. There was another door to the bathroom, there was a small twin bed on the metal floor and her stuff was in the middle of the floor. She let out a snort and just went into the room, it only had to last till the end of the war, right?  
"Thanks Gatti." she said smiling as she hugged him. He nodded and left her alone with Viole.  
"I'll come back and take you to the mess hall, or would you like me to wait and let you sniff your way there?" Ashley glared at him and smacked him lightly on the arm, nah just wait a minute I'm only going to wash my face and hands. He nodded as she disappeared into the bathroom coming out seconds later face void of dirt and hands clean. "Shall we?" She asked him, he nodded and they left the room. They both went down the hall together meeting up with Dalet and Chesta. Laughing and talking they loudly made an entrance into the large mess hall where there were dragon slayers she didn't know yet.  
"Mmm, it's good to be home." Dalet breathed out getting in line. Ashley wasn't really listening she was busy drooling over the food, some things just wouldn't change. After grabbing some grub, Ashley was first at the table of course, they all sat to enjoy the meal together. All that wasn't there, was Dilandau and a few of the on deck doctors, that and Jajuka whom she hadn't had the pleasure of meeting.  
"Does anyone know where Dilandau is?" Ashley asked between bites of the soup she had in a cup. Everyone looked around confused before realizing their commander wasn't there to torture them.  
"He might be meeting with Lord Dornkirk about you and your brother." Chesta stated into his cup of Vino.  
"Mmm, if he was wouldn't I be there?" She asked, this raised another suspicion. "Besides, Dornkirk has never requested an audience with a soldier before." She murmured more or less to herself.  
"Maybe he's relieving his stress." Gatti giggled but soon his face became full of pain as Ryou kicked him hard underneath the table. Ashley rose an eyebrow but dropped it, apparently it was a topic she wasn't meant to dwell on. 

-------

Dinner consisted of the group of now horribly close friends laughing and talking and carrying on to the late hours of the night. Playing truth games and at one point Ashley almost had them playing spin the bottle, until she mentioned whoever the bottle landed on you had to kiss. They didn't really like that too much, she just glared at them and took the bottle for herself.  
Since it was late at night, and they had to be ready for pretty much every and anything that was thrown their way, they had decided to head to bed. Ashley, wanted to stay up just a bit later to get herself acquainted with the new place, she would be forced to call home until this war was over.  
"Would you like me to accompany on your tour?" Chesta asked a bit worried, some of the other slayers and work men and such were a little suspicious inside the palace, and he'd hate to think of what horrors could come of Ashley if she were to venture outside of it to mingle with the commoners. He didn't dare to say this out loud for, he knew how she thought and she surely would not allow him to speak of the people like he had before.  
"No, I'd like to do this on my own, if I need someone to help me back to my room I'll just ask. Besides, you guys need your rest!! Piloting those huge machines must take a toll on a person!!" She smiled at him and he smiled shyly back. Hugging him tightly she let him leave the mess hall hallway. She watched him walk away with the others, he was so shy and little compared to the others that it almost seemed insane he was capable of killing anyone, much less made it through training to do so. 'That's the sign of an empath, beautiful people are always beautiful empaths.' She thought to herself.  
Walking the opposite direction as her friends, she began to aimlessly wander the metallic halls looking for anything remotely interesting. She managed to pass the docking bay, the hanger, a huge grand hall possibly used for banquets, and many various rooms she found to be locked. She entered another hall, and realized it was the one that seemed to lead to her rooms, she had made a complete circle in what seemed like hours. She knew there were more floors to explore, but if it took her a few hours to explore just the one she started on, could she even begin to imagine how long it would possibly take her to go on the other ones?  
She was grateful to find names on these doors, like generals quarters. She saw her brother's set of rooms, she didn't really want to go in there. She was almost afraid to find what he actually kept in his rooms. She saw some General named Xey's room, it was a door that opened the opposite way the others did and was a different color, bright orange. He must have been an interesting character. After passing, and reading each door carefully she came to Dilandau's. She smiled and looked at it, there was a note beside his name saying "Do Not Disturb." She could almost hear herself giggling, at the thought of it sounding like a cheap motel.  
Continuing down the hall it branched onto her own and she turned to where her room had her own name tag. Smiling brightly that she hadn't gotten lost and needed to ask someone to come get her, she pushed the door open and slipped inside. Locking it behind her, her stuff was now put away neatly and the bed sheets were changed to the ones she had with her.  
"Hm...creepy." She muttered changing into a pair of white undies and long white night gown. Slipping between the warm covers she was instantly asleep, she just couldn't wait to explore the rest of the new place. 

-------

Cracking a tightly closed eye open to look at the near prehistoric clock, Ashley growled and flopped on her back from lying on her side. She had been trying to sleep, and here it was nearly four-thirty in the morning!! About an hour and a half from the time breakfast would be served.  
Getting up from her plush bed, her muscles hurt and she had knots nearly everywhere possible, even the places she never knew were there. Standing on the cold metallic floor without shoes on was a mistake so she picked up a pair of slippers she found on the floor, nice purple color. They were silk, but had heavy leather soles, she slipped them on and found they fit perfectly. Knowing full well she didn't buy them she just shrugged and figured it was one of the guys knowing it was cold here and left them for her. Taking her blanket off the bed she wrapped it around herself letting it trail on the dirty floor.  
Leaving her room she decided to go bother Dilandau. Going to his room, she tried to turn the handle and found it locked. Growling, rather annoyed, she pulled a hair pin from her hair, half of them were falling out anyways, she began to pick the lock. They were a little bit harder to pick than the ones on the Vione. She almost gave up, after twisting many times and making her two fingers red and beginning to sore, she heard a little 'ping' sound. Smiling to her own, almost accidental, accomplishment. She got up to pull the blanket more securely around her. She cracked the door open and slipped through.  
It was completely dark except for a bit of slightly loud snores. She allowed her eyes to adjust to the dark and caught a bit of his silver hair. She smiled a bit and crept closer to him, getting a bit closer to the big bed she noticed the rooms motif was the same as his room on the Vione. Then she noticed that there seemed to be extra limbs in the bed, at least three pairs of limbs, unless she were dreaming. Looking down as him, she noticed two other heads of hair, massive red curls, and long sleek bits of platinum blonde, a lot more glossier to look golden if she had seen the hair in the sun.  
Ashley made a gasping sound, backing up a bit hand over her mouth, violet eyes wide with shock. She had walked into the after effects of a wild sex rampage. She blinked noticing a musky scent in the room and mentally gagged. Her body recovered from the shock to replace with pure anger.  
'How dare he?!?' She mentally yelled at him. She stepped closer, out of the blanket she hadn't noticed that she had let fall from around her. She got really close to him on his right side of the bed. Peering down at him with anger written in ever aspect of her face and body.  
Making up her mind she closed her eyes and brought her right hand up on the air, she kept them closed even after she heard that familiar sound of flesh on flesh. She had slapped Dilandau with everything she had. She heard him startle awake from a drunken, sex, driven sleep. She heard his jump and the slap she gave him awaken the two, half dressed, but still not dressed enough girls from their sleep.  
"What the FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!?" Dilandau asked her, Ashley opened her violet eyes, she knew they were filling with small tears but the anger she held while she glared was counter acting those tears.  
"What am I doing?!?" She yelled back, possibly just as loud. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!?" She watched the girls hastily get up and put their clothes on. They were both beautiful and rather young. One was about 5'6 in height, with long curly red hair to her waist. Her eyes were the brightest shade of green Ashley had possibly ever seen, and her skin was tanned so dark she could see the stark whiteness of where the bikini she had worn had left an imprint.  
"I am relieving stress!!" He shouted back. Ashley ignored him as she studied the two. The blonde was even prettier than the red head. Her skin was porcelain pale and she had the longest blonde hair she'd ever seen cut in odd layers down her back. Her bright blue eyes were lined with silver and seemed to glow. She didn't see much for the two girls were running out the door. Dilandau got up off the bed angrily holding the red silken sheets around his waist looking at Ashley like he were to murder her. She took this moment to start beating on him.  
"You were relieving stress?!? RELIEVING STRESS?!?" Her anger was getting higher now and she was sure she was attracting attention. "Relieving stress is sparring at two in the morning when you can't sleep. Relieving stress is a Swedish massage!! It is not randomly having sex with two girls your probably know nothing about!!" She exclaimed, slapping him anywhere she could every chance she got. He tried to grab her arms but in her rampage it just made her more powerful, knocking him back more. She took off her slippers, throwing one on the ground she had one in her hand smacking him with it. "What kind of sick fucker are you?!?" She asked him her anger losing control and she was now crying.  
"Obviously a big one!!" He shouted making her smack him even more. Now, Dilandau had, had about enough by now. He got more aggressive and just pulled back his hand and hit her as hard as he could. The sound was loud and Ashley found herself stunned. Her and Mary had been in fights before, granted lots were wrestling and mock fist fights. But, this was possibly her first really encounter with another person where she had been really hit.  
She looked at Dilandau finally, tearing her face from her shoulder. She glared at him and she saw the slight signs of regret, surprise, and still anger at her. She turned to him a moment opening her mouth to speak but flinching when it hurt, realizing her lip was busted. That's when she turned from him walking further into the room. Hearing him follow she chose to ignore him. Tears now falling freely from her face.  
'This was such a mistake.' She thought to herself bending over to pick up her blanket from the floor.  
"Ashley.." Dilandau started almost giving up, that one word and his soft voice made her anger sky rocket again. She picked up a book from the table and threw it at him.  
"You son of a bitch!!" She yelled and began to throw things within her reach. Soon, Dilandau found himself in the hallway dodging things from the doorway. A lamp shattered against the wall, crystal vase, more books, both her slippers, a pillow, and some how a chair. Muttered curses would be flittering through the doorway.  
"What happened?!?" He heard a voice beside him, turning he saw his men standing there. Ashley appeared in the doorway heaving and holding a glass and bottle in her hand. Chesta saw her face and his eyes widened, she began to cry more, slamming the door shut she locked it and began to pile things up against the door, including the bed itself. She noticed the evidence of their sex and huddled on the floor and cried, the left side of her face gradually getting more puffy and hurtful the most she cried and laid on it. 

-------

Outside, Dilandau stood up, sporting new bruises, and in some cased, small cuts on his lithe and pale body. The slayers looked a him accusingly as he sighed.  
"Get her out of my room." He stated roughly.  
"No." Chesta replied. Dilandau rose an eyebrow and stared at his slayer in mock questioning.  
"And, why not?" He asked.  
"Because, you did this you fix this. I'm tired of cleaning up your messes when it comes to emotional girls. We love her just as much as you do but this time it's your job." Chesta stated, his glare deepening. With that said, he spun on his heel and left the hallway going to his room.  
"I suppose you all don't have any advice?"  
"Well, no..not really." Viole stated. "Did you give her that nasty bruise?" He asked thinking about it. Dilandau didn't meet their gaze and that seemed to confirm their suspicions. Sighing Gatti stood there a moment and turned to the door that was both locked and barricaded.  
"One thing there is to do, is wait for her to come out." Dalet's calculating lilac colored eyes said thoughtfully. "She'll come down soon and come out. Either that or she'll get hungry soon."  
Dilandau respected that decision and followed them down the hall to borrow a shower and some clothing. Waiting for Ashley to calm down and come out of the room. 

-------

Ashley opened her eyes to a soft knocking on the door, she knew it was probably either Viole or Chesta. Most likely Chesta. Getting up she pulled the dirty bed from the door and the chair, bed side tables, and paper she thought would miraculously keep her inside. She cracked the door open to find both Chesta and Viole there. She smiled best she could without breaking her bottom and top lips open.  
"You hungry?" Chesta asked softly, his eyes held a huge amount of sympathy for her, but Viole was impassive. She stepped away and let them inside. She wasn't even sure why she barricaded herself in Dilandau's room. She just didn't want to leave just yet.  
"Mmhmm." She said through her mouth and sat on the floor. Viole lit a lantern and placed a shade over top of it to at least give them some light. He left the room into the bathroom to get some things before coming out with bottles, a metallic bowl of water, and a small towel.  
"Do you want to talk about it?" Chesta asked her as she picked up a sliced carrot and began to nibble on it.  
"All that happened..was..I couldn't sleep so I picked his lock to bother him like I did on the Vione. I came in and found two naked girls in his bed. I don't know why but I went insane. I mean, just...I like him a lot and I kind of figured he liked me too. But, he couldn't possibly if he just randomly slept with those girls. He has absolutely NO heart. I mean, can you believe he only slept with them to relieve stress?!?" She exclaimed once again becoming angry.  
"Hm, look at me." Viole instructed and began to clean the cut on her lip. The bruise she had on her face was a dark shade, meaning he had hit her harder than he had probably meant to do so. Viole made a sound and knew he could do nothing for the bruise but let it heal on it's own. It stretched from angry greenish yellow on the edge of her jaw, to the very top curve of her cheek bone closest the temple. The rest of it was darker the farther in the middle you got. Made her left side puff up. Her lips were split on the left side, all the way up and might scar funny if she wasn't very lucky. Viole applied some sort of ointment on the cut and hoped it would scar as badly noticeable as Dilandau's sliced right cheek. She flinched and ignored the pain.  
"You got him pretty good though." Chesta commented causing her to giggle a bit. "But, don't you think this is silly though? Keeping yourself locked in this room. It's been nearly a whole day." Ashley looked away from him.  
"If I leave this room I know you guys will make him talk to me, and I have no desire at all to see hide or hair of him at all. Even after this war is over and no matter how sorry or horribly bad he feels. I will not speak to him no matter what." When she was done with her speech Chesta continued to look at her, Vile looked at her like she were joking.  
"If that's how you feel then so be it. We wont make you two talk, we'll leave it alone. But, it's best to get over this soon before something drastic happens and you wont be able to address it then." Chesta's voice was rather wise and old when he spoke and it made Ashley take a step back.  
"That's fine." She muttered stubbornly. Viole sighed and shook his head.  
"Ok, we'll escort you to your rooms and we'll go train, you're welcome to come if you want." Chesta replied looking at the stubborn girl.  
"Ok."  
"Oh, Ashley you got a letter this morning from Jessica, I left it in your bedroom though." Viole said his face lighting up a bit. Ashley grinned and got up ignoring some of her split lip re-opening.  
"Let's go!!" 

-------

Ashley was escorted by Chesta and Viole to her room, she entered the room and shut the door behind her, but not before giving them both fierce hugs of gratitude. Padding to her bed she plopped on it, without the heavy comforter it seemed to be smaller. She took the neatly folded piece of parchment and smiled. On the front of the parchment was her name scrawled in black inch, it was elegant and made her smile. Turning it over, she broke the ceil, careful not to destroy the beautiful dragon that it was. She knew it was the Fanelian crest, Jessica must have used Van's wax and ceil but it still meant something. Even though their colors weren't green, the wax was still Jessica's own choosing. She opened the parchment quickly and scanned the short letter.  
**_Dear Ashley,  
I can admit, I find it rather odd being without Mary and You. I'm not sure we've ever been this apart in so long. Granted, it's only been maybe two days. But, I miss you guys, and I'm sure that even Mary feels the same. Guimel says hi, Van says that if you manage to have another episode of rage like you did with Folken then he asks that you please manage to kill Dilandau. If you want I'll hit Van for you.  
Hitome has talked badly of you the entire time I've been around. She doesn't like me too much either. But, I'm ignoring her, Merle is a wonderful girl though, so rambunctious and child like. She is only eleven after all, right? I fear to ask her age incase she takes offense. From how I see her and Hitome play around, she gets offended easily.  
The crew is cool. Gaddes is a pervert, but who on here really isn't? I sent a letter to Mary but I doubt she'll get it. I advise you write to her too, we need to at least stay in touch. Even if we aren't on the same team anymore. It doesn't matter, we're still friends, and as friends we'll fight like friends. Friends always make up in the end you do know that? Then they make a decision that all parties can agree with.  
Well, basically I just want to know how they're treating you there and if you're ok. We'll be going to Fried soon, Millerna has asked us to come by. I don't know why, some of the people are still wary of my being here, especially Guimel's presence. It's ok though. I should go though, I hope you are well and I look forward a great deal to seeing you again.  
Love you!!  
Jessica  
_**  
------- Ashley put down the letter and smiled. She got up and made her way to the bathroom, she needed to shower and change and such before she actually got to sit down and write her letter of reply. She knew it would be wise to send a letter to Mary, to at least let her know they both still cared and loved her no matter what choices either of the three made. Family usually did stick together like a horribly gone wrong super glue accident. Even if there wasn't necessarily a blood relation.  
She took a quick shower, washing her long hair, and trying to get the dirt, wine, and tears off her body. After getting out and wrapping her body in a towel she stood in front of the mirror and nearly gasped at how horrible her face looked. She glared daggers at the reflection. She was a witch, but not that powerful of one to heal herself. Still glaring, she was only glad that the swelling had gone down considerably after taking a nice hot shower.  
Leaving the bathroom, steam escaping into the cold room that was her bedroom, she dug out a few pieces of her own parchment and a quill with a bottle of black ink. Setting them on the bed, she noticed a blood red rose laying on top of a different piece of neatly folded parchment. Gagging at the rose, she picked up the letter letting the flower slide off the paper and onto the bed, the thorns scratching the paper dangerously close to cutting.  
Turning it over she noticed her name scrawled across it in choppy yet still elegant writing. She turned the letter over again to study the ceil, it was just a big D in crimson wax. She glared knowing whom it was from. Throwing the letter back angrily on her bed, she tried to stomp but stepped on herself causing her to trip, Ashley is a bit of a klutz. She managed to fall forward onto the bed, throwing her hands out, they slid, her right hand fell directly onto the long stemmed red rose. Getting back up she glared at the three deep pricks oozing the liquid life force that flows through her veins. Licking the blood up she glared at the rose and couldn't help but think one thing.  
'Even the prettiest rose has the most vicious of thorns.' She thought and laughed whole heartedly at herself. The itching wounds would heal in a few days, but she just wished that she could bring herself to read his excuses.  
  
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Note: Well.that's the end of another chapter guys!! I worked hard and fast. Let me explain before you get mad. At first, I had the PERFECT fourteenth chapter typed out and ready to upload, but when I did. My evil computer crashed and I just didn't have the heart to re-write it. Then I got a boyfriend, had the heart to re-write it but he was angry afraid that my writing would reflect our relationship so I deleted it. Then, he dumped me and I've had a few horrible relationships after that. Now, I was reading the reviews I got, even though the story has been on hold, literally a whole year. It made me smile so much I made myself write this fourteenth chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did. Also, I can guarantee that there will be a sequel to this one, but it wont be what you expect. . Um...lemme see. I want to thank you all who did review even though it seemed as if I were done with this. I'm not, lol. Um...thanks I suppose.  
Um...hm..I don't know how many more chapters there are going to be to finish this, but maybe a lot more. I'm still not sure. The chapters are increasingly getting longer, if this bothers you in any way just tell me and I'll chop them into smaller segments, but I know that I for one LOVE longer stories. Um...ok..um. Lemme see. If I don't update the fifteenth chapter either Monday or Tuesday I may shoot myself.  
I will say, that I was probably thirteen when I started this fic, I am now sixteen, isn't that depressing? Since I am sixteen I have a lot more responsibilities and I want to apologize before hand if those responsibilities get in the way of your happiness with my fic. This is still my baby even after a year. I hope me waiting so long doesn't kill your spirit in the story line and such. I once again would like to say also, that the other reason I was hesitant to finish the story, was the comment one of the Furies made. I read some of their stuff, and it wasn't that great, but the fact they said those things did hurt. I do this for fun, and after I realized that what they say shouldn't really matter I was having fun again. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, and I know this note is really long but if you read it, thanks tons. The readers mean a lot to me, you're my inspiration sometimes. . Even if you don't review I realize there are tons of people reading this stuff. Anyways, I should stop this and get the ball on the fifteenth chapter.  
Oh, and before I go..lol. I do realize that this chapter's drama was weird, her going into a flying rampage and getting hit and such. But, ya know..when someone loves someone and gets hurt, they're emotionally unstable, and as much shit as Ashley has done and been through, don't you think she should've pulled out a knife and stabbed him, then apologized for what she did? XD Anyways..thanks again, I love you guys, bai!  
  
Koori 


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